High-profile Jan. 6 defendants Rhodes, Tarrio released after Trump clemency

Two of the highest-profile Jan. 6 prisoners — Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio — were released from prison Tuesday following President Trump’s order granting pardons or clemency to more than 1,500 rioters charged in connection to the Capitol attack of Jan. 6, 2021.

Tarrio was serving a 22-year sentence after being convicted of sedition related to the attack while Rhodes was hit with an 18-year sentence on similar charges. Tarrio received a full pardon while Rhodes’s sentence was commuted by Trump to time served on Monday.

The attorneys for both men told The Hill on Tuesday that they have been released from prison after Trump’s actions signed at the White House on Monday.

“Our client has been released from federal custody," Tarrio's lawyer said shortly after 1 p.m.

Rhodes's lawyer said his client was released around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Trump granted around 1,500 pardons or clemency orders for defendants who were charged or convicted for actions related to the attack on the Capitol. In total, there were 1,583 defendants charged.

“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said as he was signing various orders at the Oval Office on Monday night.

Vice President Vance had previously suggested the pardons would not cover rioters charged with violent crimes, but Trump's order includes defendants who received multiyear sentences for attacking law enforcement.

A handful of Republicans have criticized the breadth of the order, while others have pinned blame on former President Biden for lowering the threshold for pardons.

During his final hours of the presidency, Biden dished out preemptive pardons to his family members, along with lawmakers and staff who were involved in running the House Jan. 6 select committee that investigated the riot.

Tarrio was not in Washington while the Jan. 6, 2021, attack played out, while Rhodes was outside of the Capitol building but was not convicted of any assault counts.

Tarrio’s attorney expressed gratitude for Trump’s decision to grant a pardon to the Proud Boys leader.

“Throughout this journey, we have steadfastly maintained that the charges and the subsequent prosecution were politically motivated, and today, with President Trump’s act of clemency, that long-fought battle concludes,” Nayib Hassan, Tarrio's counsel, said. “This marks a pivotal moment in our client’s life, and it symbolizes a turning point for our nation.”

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