Trump again pardons Jan. 6 defendant, this time of illegal guns possession
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on Jan. 20. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump has twice pardoned Dan Wilson, a participant in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, this time after he was convicted of illegally possessing firearms, per a White House official with knowledge of the pardon.
The big picture: By pardoning about 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants and commuting the sentences of 14 earlier this year, Trump cleared those who tried to subvert the democratic process, unraveling years of work by former President Biden's Justice Department to bring to justice those behind the unrest.
What they're saying: "While being investigated for conduct related to January 6– which President Trump issued a larger pardon for in January – investigators discovered that Mr. Wilson may have owned unauthorized firearms," the official said on Saturday.
- "Because the search of Mr. Wilson's home was due to the events of January 6, President Trump is pardoning Mr. Wilson for the firearm issues."
Catch up quick: Wilson, of Kentucky, was sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack after pleading guilty to felony conspiracy to impede federal officers, per the U.S. Attorney's office in D.C.
- Prosecutors said Wilson, known online as "Live Wire," began planning in late 2020 to disrupt Congress as it met to certify the 2020 presidential election results. He exchanged encrypted messages about traveling to Washington and bringing firearms, they said.
- On that Jan. 6, Wilson joined crowds at the Capitol after attending Trump's speech; used the app Zello to coordinate with others; and entered the Capitol wearing a gas mask, moving through the Rotunda and Statuary Hall before leaving minutes later, prosecutors said.
Zoom out: NPR reported in January that dozens of defendants pardoned by Trump had previous convictions or pending charges for serious crimes, including rape, sexual abuse of a minor, domestic violence, manslaughter, possession of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and other offenses.
Go deeper:
