Trump re-pardons jailed US Capitol rioter

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has pardoned for the second time a militia member involved in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, who was in jail for illegal possession of firearms.

Trump had already pardoned Dan Wilson, a member of the far-right group Oath Keepers, on the day of his January 20 inauguration, along with over 1,500 other rioters.

But Wilson’s separate conviction for illegally possessing firearms in his Kentucky home was not initially covered.

Sentenced to five years in prison, he was due to be released in 2028.

A presidential decree, seen by AFP and dated Friday, stated that the latest pardon was “full and unconditional.”

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Wilson’s lawyers George Pallas and Carol Stewart said he was “relieved to be home with his loved ones” after seven months behind bars.

The pardon “not only restores his freedom but also shines a light on the overreach that has divided this nation,” they said in a statement to US media, including Politico.

The Trump administration initially argued in February that the pardon did not cover the firearms conviction because it was unrelated to the Capitol riot.

But the Justice Department changed course a few weeks later, ruling that it should apply to the weapons offenses because they were discovered during an FBI investigation into the riot.

Trump has regularly downplayed the seriousness of the Capitol riot, calling it a “day of love” and “outpouring of affection” for him.

Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the seat of Congress on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent the certification of his opponent Joe Biden’s victory.