What you need to know about Trump’s broad measure of clemency for January 6 rioters

President Trump on Monday granted three different types of reprieves to all of the nearly 1,600 people facing charges for the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

He formally pardoned hundreds of rioters convicted of any crime related to January 6, starting with the lowest offenses, such as trespassing and disorderly conduct, and increasing in severity to assaults on police officers and to the seditious plot.

Mr. Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 members of two far-right groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers militia. Most of these defendants were convicted of sedition and were serving prison sentences of up to 18 years. Under the commutations, their sentences will be reduced to time served.

In a separate but related move, Mr. Trump ordered his Justice Department to dismiss all pending criminal charges against the Jan. 6 defendants. And he ordered the Bureau of Prisons to “immediately implement” its clemency measures, meaning the roughly 240 rioters behind bars could be released as early as Monday evening.

Charged with minor offenses

Mr. Trump’s pardons and requests for dismissals included about 1,000 nonviolent offenders — the largest group receiving pardons. These defendants were only charged with crimes associated with the attack on the Capitol, such as trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol or illegally entering the building itself, but were never charged with breaking anything whatever or hurt anyone.

But even though they may not have committed acts of violence, a federal appeals court ruled that each person who joined the mob on Jan. 6, “no matter how modest their behavior,” nevertheless contributed to the chaos at the Capitol.