WASHINGTON—The Trump administration today issued a sweeping series of pardons for those involved in the January 6, 2021, attack by armed insurrectionists seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Many already convicted for their role in the attack will see their sentences commuted. The following is a statement from Common Cause President & CEO Virginia Kase Solomón:

“In pardoning those who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack to overturn the vote and the voices of 80 million Americans, President Donald Trump is condoning insurrection. He issued these pardons just hours after hollowly claiming in his inaugural address that he would be a ‘law and order president.’

“On January 6^th, Donald Trump urged an armed mob of his supporters to march from the White House to the U.S. Capitol and ‘fight like hell’ to overturn the results of the 2020 election that he had lost at the ballot box. People died and more than 140 law enforcement officers were injured protecting members of Congress from the attack that followed. These deaths and injuries should not be in vain. To pardon those involved is a blatant and dangerous abuse of power.

“His refusal to accept his loss of the 2020 election and leave office peacefully stands in stark contrast to the peaceful transfer of power we witnessed today and for more than 200 years before Trump served his first term.

“Trump was charged with multiple crimes for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election which ended in the insurrection at the Capitol. Only his reelection, coupled with an extremely misguided ruling from the Supreme Court on presidential immunity, allowed him to escape trial. In pardoning those who attempted to violently overturn the election and invalidate 80 million votes, Trump is showing his contempt for our justice system and our democracy.

“This will not be the last time President Trump attacks democracy. At Common Cause we stand ready to defend it.”