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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s operating for president as an impartial candidate, urged in a press release that the prosecutions of rioters who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, may be politically motivated, a view that echoes that of former President Donald Trump and his allies.
The assertion got here a day after Kennedy got here beneath fireplace for a fundraising electronic mail that painted a sympathetic portrait of the rioters as “activists” who had been “stripped of their constitutional liberties.”
Kennedy’s marketing campaign then mentioned that assertion “was an error that doesn’t replicate Mr. Kennedy’s views.”
The marketing campaign continued, “It was inserted by a brand new advertising and marketing contractor and slipped via the conventional approval course of,” and later mentioned that it had terminated the marketing campaign’s contract with the seller.
And but in Kennedy’s subsequent assertion on the subject, he struck an identical tone. Somewhat than disavowing the concept the rioters are being prosecuted unjustly, Kennedy embraced it, saying he’s “involved concerning the risk that political goals motivated the vigor of the prosecution of the J6 defendants.”
He argued, “Cheap folks, together with Trump opponents, inform me there may be little proof of a real revolt. They observe that the protestors carried no weapons, had no plans or capacity to grab the reins of presidency, and that Trump himself had urged them to protest ‘peacefully.'”
CBS Information’ Scott MacFarlane, who has extensively coated the Jan. 6 prosecutions, identified that there have been, the truth is “many, many, many weapons carried by the protesters, together with weapons, knives, axes, batons, bats, sticks, flagpoles, pepper and bear spray and a tomahawk,” and so they used them to assault police who had been making an attempt to guard the Capitol.
Kennedy in his assertion supply some criticism of Trump — stating that the assault on the Capitol occurred together with his “encouragement” and “within the context of his delusion that the election was stolen from him.” Nonetheless, Kennedy mentioned as president he would appoint a particular counsel to look into whether or not Trump allies had been unfairly singled out for prosecution, “and I’ll proper any wrongs that we uncover.”
Trump usually refers to these convicted for the Jan. 6 assault “hostages” and has promised to pardon them if he wins again the White Home.
Kennedy later retracted his declare that almost all protesters carried no weapons, releasing one other assertion Friday night that mentioned, “My understanding that not one of the January 6 rioters who invaded the capitol had been carrying firearms was incorrect. A number of have been convicted of carrying firearms into the Capitol constructing. Others assaulted Capitol police with pepper spray, bludgeons, and different makeshift weapons.”
“This conduct is inexcusable,” he added. “I’ve by no means minimized or dismissed the seriousness of the riot or any crime dedicated on that day.”
The violence on Jan. 6 was intensive. The mob of Trump supporters stormed previous police boundaries, engaged in hand-to-hand fight with officers, smashed home windows and poured into the Capitol constructing, sending lawmakers operating into hiding.
A makeshift gallows was photographed outdoors the Capitol the day of the assault and a few chanted “Hold Mike Pence.” Rioters roamed the halls, calling out, “The place are you, Nancy?” referring to Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Home speaker on the time.
Law enforcement officials had been bruised and bloodied as they had been dragged into the group and crushed. One officer was crushed in a doorframe and one other suffered a coronary heart assault after a rioter pressed a stun gun in opposition to his neck and repeatedly shocked him.
Greater than 1,300 folks have been charged within the assault on the Capitol, together with roughly 500 folks accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. About 1,000 have pleaded responsible or been convicted by a choose or a jury of crimes together with seditious conspiracy, assault and civil dysfunction. Solely two defendants have been cleared of all fees after a trial, each by judges who determined the case with out a jury.
Of the greater than 800 rioters who’ve been sentenced, not less than 229 have obtained not less than one 12 months behind bars, in keeping with an Related Press assessment of court docket data. The longest sentences to date have gone to the leaders of two far-right extremist teams — the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — who had been convicted of seditious conspiracy after trials that showcased weeks of plotting to make use of drive to cease the switch of presidential energy from Trump to Biden.
Judges overseeing the circumstances in Washington’s federal court docket have routinely burdened that the rioters are being punished for his or her actions, not their political views. Judges appointed to the bench by presidents of each political events have sought to make use of their platforms to fight distortions concerning the assault and admonish rioters for casting themselves as victims of political persecution.
Below Justice Division guidelines, the lawyer normal — not the president — appoints particular counsels. And particular counsels have traditionally been appointed to research crimes, to not revisit prosecutorial selections made by Justice Division leaders.
Kennedy portrayed Trump, who faces dozens of fees in 4 jurisdictions for varied alleged crimes, as a sufferer of a politically motivated authorities, echoing each the previous president’s personal characterization of the fees as corrupt and claims from Republicans in Congress that federal businesses are “weaponized” in opposition to conservatives.
“One can, as I do, oppose Donald Trump and all he stands for, and nonetheless be disturbed by the weaponization of presidency in opposition to him,” Kennedy mentioned.
Kennedy is a lawyer and activist identified for combating for environmental causes and rejecting the scientific consensus that vaccines are protected and efficient. He has a fervent base of assist amongst voters distrustful of the federal government and different establishments in American life, together with the media, political events and companies.
Democrats and their allies on the left have mobilized in opposition to Kennedy, the descendent of distinguished Democrats from essentially the most recognizable dynasty in U.S. politics, who they fear will break up the anti-Trump coalition and assist Trump to victory in November.
“There aren’t two sides to violent rioters who assaulted law enforcement officials and tried to overthrow our democracy,” mentioned Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Democratic Nationwide Committee. “Repeatedly, RFK Jr. has confirmed he is a spoiler for Donald Trump, whether or not it is having his candidacy propped up by Trump’s largest donor or offering cowl for Trump by downplaying the seriousness of January sixth.”
Allison Novello contributed to this report.
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