On January 6th, the defendant admitted guilt in a plot to kill a federal agent who was part of the investigation into the 2021 Capitol incident.
Edward Kelly was accused by prosecutors of creating a “kill list” targeting FBI agents and others involved in looking into his actions during the Capitol attack. He reportedly devised plans to eliminate them while awaiting trial regarding the events of January 6, 2021.
After a three-day trial in November, a Tennessee jury found him guilty of soliciting violence against federal officials, alongside conspiracy charges related to a federal employee’s murder.
Before this, Kelly had been convicted on 11 counts after a two-day bench trial focused on the Capitol riot. He was noted as the fourth individual to breach the building, and he assisted Eugene Goodman in navigating the stairs while searching for lawmakers to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election, as stated in court documents.
When President Trump returned to the White House in January, he granted pardons to Kelly and nearly all other individuals involved in the January 6 incident.
Kelly’s legal team contended that Trump’s pardon should extend to the murder plot charges he faced. The Justice Department acknowledged that the broad pardon might involve other alleged offenses unrelated to January 6, yet they concurred with Kelly’s stance.
Prosecutors stated, “The crimes for which the defendant was convicted in Tennessee resulted from his own deliberate actions.” They emphasized this connection was distinct from the January 6 events.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Baran, appointed by former President George W. Bush, agreed, dismissing Kelly’s Tennessee convictions in March. However, the judge expressed doubt regarding the Justice Department’s change in position, indicating that interpreting Trump’s pardon rested with the court, not solely on the government’s viewpoint.
Prosecutors pursued a life sentence for Kelly, describing his actions as “serious and undeniably dangerous.” They alleged he aimed to assassinate specific law enforcement officials and had plotted an attack using explosives on the FBI office in Knoxville.
On Wednesday, Judge Baran declined to file an appeal while Kelly awaits release.
