Capitol Terrorists Seek Trump Pardons, Some Already Freed from Jail

It’ll be worth watching the process of American justice as it is applied to the mostly white insurrectionists who took over the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 with threats to hurt and hang elected government representative.

Already, some of them have indicated that they expect special treatment—like wanting to be served organic food while in jail—which is not that surprising since they were able to storm a hallowed federal institution with such ease.

Now more than one of the terrorists have signaled that they would like a pardon for their crimes from President Trump, who leaves office in 3 days—and whose circle is reportedly already selling off final presidential pardons to anyone with enough dough to pay for one.

Jenna Ryan, a real estate agent from Texas who flew to Washington D.C. in a private jet to violently disrupt the democratic process, told CBS DFW on Friday that she feels “persecuted” because she is now facing prison for her actions. She called on Trump to pardon her and the other extremists who broke into the Capitol screaming for blood.

“I’m facing a prison sentence. I think I do not deserve that and from what I understand, every person is going to be arrested that was there,” said Ryan. “So I think everyone deserves a pardon, so I would ask the President of the United States to give me a pardon.”

Boldly, but again unsurprisingly, Ryan added that she doesn’t feel any guilt or shame for the actions she is now seeking a pardon for.

“I feel like I was basically following my president. I was following what we were called to do. He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do,” she said, adding that she “feels wronged” because her name is all over the internet and her real estate business is now affected.

Ryan posted photos on social media of her flying to Washington D.C. and posing next to smashed-in windows at the Capitol.

Meanwhile, Jacob Chansley, the spear-waving, fur-wearing man at the Jan. 6 insurrection who is also known as Jake Angeli, is similarly looking to a pardon from Trump to get him off the hook.

Speaking with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Angeli’s lawyer Albert Watkins said Trump has an obligation to pardon Watkins and others who were at the Captiol.

“The words that were spoken by the president meant something, not just to my client. They meant something to a lot of people, they listened to those words,” said Watkins. “They had a right to rely on the words of their president that was strewed forth worldwide. Our president needs to be accountable for that.”

Watkins also said that Angeli had the doors to the Capitol “held open to him” by police, and pointed out that his client is a military veteran.

Of course, Angeli wasn’t the only veteran among the throng that attacked the U.S. government on Jan. 6. Several of the extremists who were in the violent mob at the Capitol were former military, and even if Trump doesn’t end up saving his personal troops, the courts seem to be going easy on some of them so far.

Larry Rendall Brock Jr., a retired U.S. Airforce veteran who was at the insurrection with zip ties, was recently released from custody by a judge who cited his service background, though prosecutors pointed out that he was one of the most dangerous insurgents.

From Newsweek:

“He means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain, perhaps try, perhaps execute members of the U.S. government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer said of Brock. The prosecutor did not provide further clarification on his comments.

Despite these strong accusations, Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton said he would release the former lieutenant colonel, 53, to home confinement. Brock was ordered to surrender any firearms and the judge said he would have limited internet access under his confinement.

“I need to put you on a very short rope,” Cureton said. “These are strange times for our country and the concerns raised by the government do not fall on deaf ears.”

And Jacob Fracker, a corporal in the Virginia National Guard and a police officer, was recently freed on a $15,000 unsecured bond despite bragging on social media about participating in the attack on the government.

According to CNBC, Fracker took pictures with his fellow Virginia police officer Thomas Robertson at the Capitol insurrection and later posted “Lol to anyone who is possible concerned about the picture of me going around.” Robertson has also been freed by a judge, which confirms that these white extremists’ confidence that they will face minimal—if any—repercussions is pretty well-founded.