WASHINGTON (Michigan News Source) – In his first major act after returning to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon for nearly 1,500 January 6 participants, including about 50 Michiganders.
Who are the pardoned Michiganders?
These individuals, many of whom were convicted on charges ranging from trespassing to more serious offenses, found themselves caught in the aftermath of a politically charged event. Trump framed the move as a necessary step to end a grave national injustice and to foster reconciliation in a deeply divided country.
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Michigan played a visible role on January 6th. Among those pardoned include Ryan Kelley, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate from Allendale, and Michael Foy, a Marine veteran from Wixom.
Kelley received 60 days in prison, a year of probation, and a $5,000 fine. Attorney Gary K. Springstead, who represented Kelley, still maintains his client’s innocence. “He didn’t even go inside the Capitol. He was literally on the front steps of the Capitol speaking his mind about what he thought was right and wrong, and I think most everybody in the United State would think…that’s a constitutionally protected right.”
Foy served time for assault charges. The pardon serves as a chance to rebuild his life.
Biden’s Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice under Joe Biden pursued an aggressive strategy, charging a large amount of people of individuals who entered restricted Capitol grounds, regardless of their actions.
Many say Trump’s pardons are a counterbalance that address what many conservatives saw as excessive punishment for nonviolent offenders and those swept up in the chaos.
A shift is taking place.
The pardons signal a shift toward healing the political rift that the Capitol riot symbolized. While some worry this sends the wrong message, others see it as a step toward unity – an acknowledgment that Americans on both sides of the aisle need to move forward.
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