A U.S. district judge rejects a request by rioters on Jan. 6 to attend President-elect Trump's inauguration later this month, citing concerns about the Capitol riot that sparked hours of chaos and violence in the nation's capital. did.
Russell Taylor is on probation after pleading guilty to obstructing an official proceeding. petitioned After asking a court for permission to travel outside the Central District of California to attend President-elect Trump's ceremony. invitation From the members of parliament.
Judge Royce Lamberth dismissed the claim in the following decision: Friday's court ordera look back at events that occurred after the 2020 presidential election.
“Mr. Taylor brought a knife and a plate carrier vest into the Capitol, and was carrying a backpack containing a hatchet and a stun baton,” Lamberth said in the order.
“During the riot, Mr. Taylor pushed past police barricades, encouraged his fellow rioters to rush into police lines where officers were visibly assaulted, and joined in the push, storming Upper West Terrace. They repeatedly threatened the police protecting the area, saying it was theirs.''[l]This is your chance to “stand back'' and relinquish your position,'' the judge wrote.
Mr Lamberth said that although Mr Taylor did not injure the officers on duty, his attempt to incite a riot warranted serious concerns about Mr Taylor's attendance at future important political events.
“Although he did not personally assault law enforcement officers, he encouraged other rioters who were threatening and actively assaulting law enforcement officers,” Lamberth said. “He also contributed meaningfully to the sheer danger of that day's events by arriving armed.”
“Although Mr. Taylor's rhetoric on the day of the Capitol riot is littered with pro-American motifs and innuendo, his illegal actions and subsequent support for the 'insurrection' are not as patriotic as he may have professed that day. “It betrays the motive,” he added.
Taylor's attorney, Dyke E. Hash, praised Taylor's compliance with the probation order and the court's cooperation in leading to his conviction for the Three Percenters militia group as evidence of a change in Taylor's behavior.
“While this decision is disappointing, my client is a big supporter of President-elect Trump, so I understand that the court denied his request,” Hash said. NBC News.
Hash did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.
Taylor was not the only member of the January 6 riot to request permission to attend President Trump's inauguration. Mr. Eric Peterson was approved to attend, but Mr. Christopher Beliveau was not allowed to attend.
William Pope is still awaiting a decision.
