Politics & Government

Trump Pardons 14 From Hudson Valley For Their Parts In Jan. 6 Riots

An hour after beginning his second term, President Donald Trump pardoned those who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

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Trump said the pardons will end "a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years" and begin "a process of national reconciliation."
Trump said the pardons will end "a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years" and begin "a process of national reconciliation." (Jenna Fisher/Patch)

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — In the first in a blizzard of executive actions after arriving at the White House on Monday, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including 14 from the Hudson Valley.

Trump also commuted the sentences of another 14 people, including leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. These were charged with some of the most serious and high-profile cases.

The decision amounted to a sweeping cloak of impunity for Trump supporters who upended the country's tradition of peaceful transfers of power by trying to overturn his election defeat four years ago. Trump described them as "hostages" and said he expected them to be freed shortly.

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Those pardoned included former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison — the longest term of imprisonment among all of those charged with the Jan. 6 attack — on a conviction of seditious conspiracy.

Stewart Rhodes, the former leader of the Oath Keepers militia, who had received the second-longest sentence — 18 years — on his seditious conspiracy conviction, was released from a Cumberland, Maryland federal prison early Tuesday morning.

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Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that are pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history.

People pardoned/had sentences commuted from the Hudson Valley include:

Robert Ballesteros, Mahopac. He was sentenced on April 28, 2022 to 36 months probation; 40 hours of community service; $500 restitution; and a $10 special assessment, prosecutors said.

Robert C. Chapman, Carmel. He was sentenced on May 18, 2022 to 18 months of probation with 3 months location monitoring; 60 hours community service; a $10 special assessment; $500 restitution; and a $742 fine, prosecutors said.

Christopher Douglas Finney, Hopewell Junction. His sentencing was set for January 24, 2025, prosecutors said.

Christopher M. Kelly, New City. All charges against Kelly were dismissed on June 2, 2021. The Department of Justice said in a court filing that, "upon reflection of the facts currently known to the government, the government believes that dismissal without prejudice at this time serves the interests of justice."

Edward Jacob Lang, Newburgh. He pleaded not guilty to a long list of charges related to the Capitol Riots.

*Roberto A. Minuta (sentence commuted), Newburgh. He was sentenced on June 1, 2023 to to 54 months of incarceration; and 36 months of supervised release.

Christopher Patrick Moynihan, Salt Point. He was sentenced on Feburary 3, 2023 to 21 months incarceration; 36 months supervised release; and a special assessment of $180, according to prosecutors.

William Joseph Pepe, Beacon. His sentencing was set for March 11, 2025, according to prosecutors.

Gregory Richard Purdy, Hopewell Junction. His sentencing was set for January 29, 2025, according to prosecutors.

Matthew Purdy, Hopewell Junction. He was sentenced on December 6, 2024 to 90 days incarceration; a fine of $2,000; and a special assessment of $20, according to prosecutors.

Robert Turner, Poughkeepsie. His sentencing was set for January 29, 2025, according to prosecutors.

William Vogel, Pawling. He was sentenced on June 16, 2023 to 30 days of incarceration; 36 months of probation; a special assessment of $10; and $500 restitution, according to prosecutors.

Anthony Vuksanaj, Mahopac. He was sentenced on April 29, 2022 to 42 days incarceration; 36 months probation; three months home detention; a $2,000 fine; $500 restitution; a $10 special assessment; and 25 hours of community service, according to prosecutors.

Thomas Webster, Florida. He was sentenced on September 2, 2022 to 10 years incarceration; 3 years of supervised release; $2,060 in restitution; and a $510 special assessment, according to prosecutors.

Walter Joseph Wentland, Sparrow Bush.

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Trump has claimed they were unfairly treated by the Justice Department, which also charged him with federal crimes in two cases he contends were politically motivated. Trump said the pardons will end "a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years" and begin "a process of national reconciliation."

The pardons were met with elation from Trump supporters and lawyers for the Jan. 6 defendants. Trump supporters gathered late Monday in the cold outside the Washington jail where more than a dozen defendants were being held before the pardons.

"We are deeply thankful for President Trump for his actions today," said James Lee Bright, an attorney who represented Rhodes.

"This marks a pivotal moment in our client’s life, and it symbolizes a turning point for our nation," Tarrio attorney Nayib Hassan said in a statement. "We are optimistic for the future, as we now turn the page on this chapter, embracing new possibilities and opportunities."

Democrats slammed the move to extend the pardons to violent rioters, many of whose crimes were captured on camera and broadcast on live TV.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it "an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution."

"Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in an emailed statement.

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, appeared taken aback to learn from an Associated Press reporter that those who assaulted police officers are among the pardon recipients.

"This is what the American people voted for," he said. "How do you react to something like that?"

Fanone said he has spent the past four years worried about his safety and the well-being of his family. Pardoning his assailants only compounds his fears, he said.

"I think they're cowards," he said. "Their strength was in their numbers and the mob mentality. And as individuals, they are who they are."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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