Quigley Statement on Trump’s Pardon of January 6 Rioters

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including people convicted of assaulting police officers:

“January 6, 2021, was a dark day in our nation; one where the future of our democracy stood on a knife’s edge. I am grateful every day that our country survived that moment. We can only ensure that it never happens again by holding those responsible accountable. Our justice system went to great pains to bring as many of those individuals to justice as possible. Donald Trump’s pardoning of these traitors sends a clear message that violent assault on our democracy is not just tolerated but rewarded.

“The attack was also deeply personal for me. I was in the House Gallery when rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. I heard the firing of gas canisters and the ring of gunshots as Capitol Police valiantly kept the insurrectionists from invading the House floor as my colleagues and I escaped. Later, I met with Capitol Police and DC Metro Police Officers who were attacked and injured in their defense of the Capitol. These pardons are a betrayal of our law enforcement and a slap in the face to all those who survived that day.

“The Republican party’s failure to condemn Trump’s pardons shows us once and for all that the party of ‘law and order’ values power above all else.”