Pardoned Jan. 6 protester: 'The DOJ was not weaponized against me'

Pam Hemphill, who was charged for her involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is pushing back against the notion that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was weaponized against the rioters.

“I’m not a victim of January 6th, and the DOJ was not weaponized against me,” Hemphill said Thursday during an appearance on CNN's "News Night."

“I was a volunteer," she continued. "I broke the law. It’s that easy."

Hemphill, along with the majority of Jan. 6 defendants, was pardoned by President Trump last month, during one of his first official acts as president. She advocated against his clemency efforts despite being sentenced to 60 days in prison and 36 months of probation in addition to a $500 restitution fee.

“I’m upset that Trump lied that the election was stolen. That’s why I was there,” she explained to CNN host Abby Phillip.

Trump's sweeping pardon of more than 1,500 people — including violent individuals who assaulted police officers — stunned even Republican lawmakers, who witnessed the riot firsthand. He later defended his actions in an interview on Fox News, outlining a "number of reasons" including allegations that the rioters were treated "so badly" and that they should "be allowed to protest."

A majority of Americans have also said they are displeased with the pardons, according to recent polling.

Hemphill has also condemned former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in recent months for introducing rhetoric that incited rioters, and she has continued to take issue with his claims of DOJ weaponization under Democrats publicly.

“What’s happening is I’m destroying their narrative, and they don’t like it," she added. "Too bad."

“I’m going to continue to destroy your narrative because you’ve been lying about everything that happened on January the 6th," Hemphill added, pointing her criticism to far-right leaders such as Tarrio.

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