Extremists who took part in protesting President Donald Trump’s election loss on January 6, 2021, may get an olive branch when the 45th president returns to power.
Trump has long championed their actions, including referring to the event as a “day of love” and calling those incarcerated “political prisoners” who should be released. Some of those getting a second chance could include more than 40 people in New England arrested in connection to the siege. Individuals face charges that include trespassing, disorderly conduct and assault on Capitol police.
Trump has said he will “most likely” issue pardons to individuals who were involved in the insurrection — as soon as his first day in office — with some possible exceptions depending on the person’s conduct.
Presidents hold significant power in being able to issue pardons and commutations of sentences.
“He can commute. He can select the pardon power. And the Constitution is about as absolute as it gets when it comes to law. The only place where I would draw a line is: I don’t think he is authorized to pardon himself,” said Michael Meltsner, a Matthews University Professor of Law Emeritus at Northeastern University School of Law.
Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, said it’s likely the president-elect will either pardon or commute sentences in an effort to remove a “huge stain” from his legacy.
“He’s going to try to erase that as much as possible through his actions and through trying to diminish the significance of that day — and whitewash the history of his first administration,” Panagopoulos said.
That could even include expunging records. It’s unclear whether Trump will issue a blanket pardon. and if he will provide any leniency to those with more serious criminal infractions that led to prison time.
Pardons, Meltsner said, are usually used for people who have served time, or if the question of “poor sentencing” has been raised. In this case, he said, it seems to be more about whether Trump approves of their conduct in his name.
“What he doesn’t necessarily have on his side is the ethics, because this is not what pardons is usually used for,” said Meltsner.
Panagopoulos said Trump’s actions toward Jan. 6 participants could be a “strong signal” of what his administration is willing to accept from supporters.
“That they can engage in certain actions that are violent or illegal or harmful to others that will not be prosecuted,” he said.
Panagopoulos believes it could have a big impact on political discourse in the country.
He pointed to exit polls from the most recent presidential election, in which about 75% of voters said they believe democracy in the United States is threatened.
The District of Columbia’s Capitol Breach tracker lists 13 people who were arrested in Massachusetts in connection to January 6. GBH News found two additional individuals out of the more than 1,500 who have been charged with crimes related to the riots.
The FBI’s Boston office has arrested over 40 people in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island in connection to the attacks.
Here are the statuses of 15 Jan. 6 cases with ties to Massachusetts:
Joseph Fisher
The former Boston Police officer was arrested March 2023. One of the charges was assaulting a Capitol police officer. He was sentenced to 14 “intermittent” days of prison, 36 months of probation, and $500 in restitution.
Julie Miller, aka Hong Ngo
In June 2024, Miller was sentenced to 36 months’ probation and ordered to pay $500 restitution.
Chase Kevin Allen
In November 2022, Allen was ordered to two weeks of confinement and 36 months of probation, with $500 in restitution.
Noah S. Bacon
The former yoga instructor with Cambridge’s Council on Aging was sentenced to a year in prison in 2023, 24 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.
Stefanie Chiguer
Pled guilty in April 2022 and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.
Kim Marie Connolly
Pled guilty and was sentenced to six months of probation and $500 in restitution.
Long Duong, aka Jimmy Hoang Duong
Arrested in 2023. Pled guilty to entering a restricted building and was sentenced in April 2024 to three years of probation and $500 in restitution.
Vincent Gillespie
Sentenced at trial to more than five years in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting, resisting, impeding officers. He appealed in April 2023. He also
once appealed a $15 parking ticket to Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial court.
Suzanne Ianni
Pled guilty in 2022 and was sentenced to 15 days of incarceration, 30 months of probation, 60 hours of community service and $500 in restitution.
Christopher H. Keniley
Broke windows and assaulted members of the Capitol police. Pled guilty in 2023. Incarcerated for 10 days, sentenced to two years of probation and $500 in restitution.
Brian McCreary
Pled guilty in 2021 and was sentenced to 42 days of “intermittent incarceration,” two months of home detention, three years of probation, and a $2,500 fine after losing his job.
Mark Sahady
Sahady pled not guilty on all counts. In December 2024, a judge issued an order for five months of prison, 12 months of supervised release, 60 hours of community service, no firearms, a ban on going to Washington, D.C., and a restitution payment of $2,000. Sahady appealed.
Troy Sargent
Pled guilty, and was sentenced to 14 months of prison in December 2022. Judge also ordered 2 years of supervised release and $500 in restitution. Sargent appealed unsuccessfully.
Michael St. Pierre
Arrested in July 2023 and convicted in October 2023 after a bench trial. In his self-recorded video on Jan. 6, 2021, St. Pierre pointed the camera at the Capitol building and said, “That’s where the meeting ground is. Hopefully they bust through, and I’ll join them, to rush the Capitol and go grab Nancy Pelosi by the hair and f—ing twirl her around.” He is set to be sentenced in March 2025.
Jacquelyn Starer
Arrested in 2022. Sentenced to nine months of home confinement in Sept. 5, 2024, and apologized for punching officer.
