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Another individual involved in the January 6 Capitol riot has publicly rejected a pardon issued by former President Donald Trump, stating that his actions were inexcusable and do not merit forgiveness. Jason Riddle, a Navy veteran who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, explained that his decision reflects a desire to take responsibility for his conduct and move forward.
“It’s almost like [Trump] was trying to say it didn’t happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable. I don’t want the pardon. And I also learned that I can reject the pardon,” Riddle stated in an interview with NHPR, published Friday.
Riddle’s involvement in the riot led to his conviction in April 2022. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by three years of probation, and was fined $750 for stealing a book and causing damage. According to his plea agreement, Riddle entered the Senate parliamentarian’s office during the unrest, where he drank a bottle of wine.
While Riddle once considered running for Congress, he now prioritizes clearing his record to improve employment prospects. “I did reject the pardon because I’m thinking down the road [if] an employer looks in my background, they see misdemeanors … Misdemeanors with a presidential pardon — I think that tends to draw more attention,” Riddle said. “And I’m sure that’s fine in the MAGA world with whoever supports Trump, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering if the job I’m applying to, if they like Trump.”
Riddle is one of several January 6 defendants to refuse Trump’s offer of clemency. Earlier this week, Pamela Hemphill, another convicted rioter, publicly condemned the attack and rejected her pardon, calling it an insult to law enforcement. “Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol Police officers, rule of law, and, of course, our nation,” Hemphill said.
Trump, who has faced criticism for his role in inciting the January 6 attack, issued approximately 1,500 “full, complete, and unconditional pardons” to individuals charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Overall, 1,583 individuals were prosecuted for their participation, with nearly 600 of them accused of resisting or assaulting police officers.
The events of January 6, 2021, marked one of the darkest days in modern U.S. history. A mob of Trump supporters, spurred by false claims of a stolen election, breached the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The violence resulted in multiple deaths, injuries to law enforcement officers, and widespread damage to federal property.
Riddle’s decision to reject the pardon also reflects his belief in personal accountability. “If I accepted the pardon, it would be like I’m agreeing with [Trump] and saying what I did wasn’t wrong,” he said. “But it was wrong. I know what I did, and I’ll own up to it.”
The refusal by some defendants to accept pardons highlights the internal divisions among those who participated in the riot. While many continue to defend their actions as patriotic, others, like Riddle and Hemphill, have distanced themselves from the events and sought to atone for their involvement.
As the legal fallout from the January 6 attack continues, hundreds of rioters have faced significant consequences, ranging from prison sentences to probation. The broader political implications of the attack remain a source of heated debate, with Trump continuing to play a prominent role in the Republican Party and gearing up for a potential 2024 presidential campaign.
