Nearly four years to the day since his father was arrested for his role in the January 6 Capitol riots, Jackson Reffitt watched in shock as President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning and commuting the sentences of his father and about 1,500 other rioters. .
Reffitt has spent much of the past four years in hiding, traveling every few months. He is the person who tipped off the FBI about his father’s involvement in the rebellion. Jackson’s father, Guy Reffitt, was a member of the Texas Three Percenters when he stormed the Capitol wearing body armor with a revolver and zip ties. He was caught on camera urging other protesters to storm the Capitol building and told members of his party that he intended to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building by his ankles, “with his head banging every step of the way down.”
“Trump himself gave him a presidential pardon to release him. That validation is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience that he’ll never get again,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I can’t imagine what he’s going to do now. It could be worse in hell.”
Reffitt is “terrified” of what will happen next, and has armed herself with a gun and a shotgun to protect herself and her boyfriend. Over the past few years, she has been targeted, harassed and threatened online.
Since Trump has pardoned everyone, the threats are getting more intense.
“[In the last 24 hours] it’s worse than ever,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I think it’s because, again, the validation that Trump brings gives people the courage to just say nasty and disgusting things.”
Reffitt is not the only family member of a prisoner released on January 6 who is worried about the fallout from Trump’s pardon. Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes who was sentenced to 22 years for treason that was dismissed by Trump, is also worried about what could happen. “Stewart is out of jail now, and to be honest, I could use a little fund, just in case,” Adams wrote on her GoFundMe page Tuesday, hours after her ex-husband was released from prison.
The investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol was the largest in the history of the Department of Justice, and left many far-right groups in the country in ruins. But with a single stroke on Monday night, Trump reinvigorated the military, freeing key figures, including Rhodes leader and Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio.
“One of the things I’m most concerned about is the risk of the groups collapsing after the J6 comes back in force, especially since most of them have had their sentences overturned or pardoned,” said Luke Baumgartner, a researcher at George Washington University. System of Extremism. “I wouldn’t be shocked if Oath Keepers start showing up more often, and I see the Proud Boys stepping up their culture war tactics, especially against the LGBTQ community, as we’ve seen before. Their leaders are free, they have a lot to handle, and they may feel reassured.”
Got a Tip?
Are you a family member of the January 6 prisoner being released? We would love to hear from you. Using a non-working phone or computer, contact David Gilbert at [email protected] or securely on Signal at DavidGilbert.01
Guy Reffitt became the first rioter to go on trial for his actions on January 6 and initially received a sentence of seven years and three months, which was reduced by seven months in December after a High Court ruling that led to the ban being lifted. against him.
“I am a very strong Patriot, with strong support from the Patriot Warriors, as we navigate troubled waters,” Reffitt wrote to a prison acquaintance in a text message sent by prosecutors during his December plea.
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