Another Jan. 6 rioter has rejected President Trump’s pardon, saying that he “did those things” and his actions do not merit forgiveness.
“It’s almost like he was trying to say it didn’t happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable. I don’t want the pardon. And I also learned that I can reject the pardon,” Jason Riddle said in an interview with NHPR published on Friday.
Riddle, a Navy veteran, was sentenced to 90 days in jail in early April 2022 for his involvement in the 2021 Capitol riot along with three years of probation. He was fined $750 for stealing a book and inflicting damage during the riot over four years ago. During the unrest at the Capitol, he entered the Senate parliamentarian’s office and drank a bottle of wine, per his plea agreement.
Riddle, who previously expressed interest in running for Congress, said he rejected Trump’s pardon to better his chances of landing jobs.
“And I did reject the pardon because I’m thinking down the road [if] an employer looks in my background, they see misdemeanors… Misdemeanors with a presidential pardon — I think that tends to draw more attention,” he said. “And I’m sure that’s fine in the MAGA world with whoever supports Trump, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering if the job I’m applying to, if they like Trump.”
Trump granted around 1,500 “full, complete and unconditional pardons” for rioters who were charged concerning the Jan. 6 riot. In total, 1,583 defendants have been charged. Some 600 of those defendants were accused of resisting and assaulting police officers.
Riddle is another defendant who has rejected the pardon the president issued earlier this week. Pamela Hemphill, who served time in prison over her actions on Jan. 6, said the rioters were “wrong” for storming the building.
“Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol Police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation,” Hemphill said on Wednesday.
