For years, literally, several government officials, nearly all Democrats, and most mainstream media outlets have claimed the riot that occurred at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, was ‘sedition.’
On Thursday, a grand jury finally gave them the narrative they wanted.
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and three other members of the organization were found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a federal jury in Washington, D.C. for their involvement in the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
The defendants were accused of conspiring to keep former President Donald Trump in power following the disputed 2020 election. However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the sedition charge for defendant Dominic Pezzola, although he was convicted of other serious felonies related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
The prosecution was unable to demonstrate any evidence of coordination between the extremist group and former President Donald Trump. The group breached the Capitol without the use of firearms, and there was no clear plan presented for how they intended to overturn the U.S. government and maintain power.
Tarrio, Pezzola and the other defendants — Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl — will now await sentencing. Some reports said they could get as much as 20 years behind bars on the sedition allegation.
The sedition charge is a rare and historically significant charge that dates back to the Civil War, when it was used to protect the federal government against secessionist rebels.
The Proud Boys trial marked the last of three major sedition cases brought by federal prosecutors against key figures involved in the January 6th incident.
The trial lasted for more than three months and was characterized by frequent delays, strained relationships between the defense and prosecution teams, and a series of rulings by the presiding judge, Timothy J. Kelly, that tested the limits of conspiracy law.
Kelly’s rulings during the trial allowed prosecutors to present evidence of violent behavior and confrontational rhetoric from members of the Proud Boys who had only limited connections to the five defendants.
The rulings also permitted the jury to convict for conspiracy even in the absence of an explicit plan to disrupt the election certification, instead allowing for an implicit agreement to be considered. As a result, the defendants were found guilty of seditious conspiracy.
Julie Kelly of American Greatness lashed out at the verdict.
Proud Boys verdicts. F*cking insanity pic.twitter.com/pwg0AHe86P
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) May 4, 2023
Conservative journalist Kyle Becker added: “The corrupt DOJ got this verdict to support the Democrats’ J6 propaganda. Nothing more, nothing less. America has become no better than the Soviet Union.”
