Georgia senators introduce resolution condemning Jan. 6 pardons

Sen. Ossoff respond to Trump pardons

One of President Donald Trump's first actions in office for his second term was to pardon many of those involved in the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol. Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff responds to the executive actions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), alongside 45 colleagues, introduced a resolution on Monday condemning pardons granted to individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

What we know:

The measure comes in response to President Donald Trump's decision to issue pardons on his first day of his second term, absolving over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol riots and commuting sentences for 14 others, including leaders of far-right groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

The pardons included 169 individuals who had pled guilty to assaulting police officers during the violent siege, which left over 80 U.S. Capitol Police officers and more than 60 Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police officers injured.

What they're saying:

"Pardoning violent criminals who carried out this unabashed and unembarrassed assault on our democracy is not only an immense injustice but blatant disrespect to the courageous law enforcement officers who protected our Capitol and fought to preserve our republic that day," said Senator Warnock. He warned the pardons could embolden political violence and endanger law enforcement further.

Senator Ossoff also denounced the pardons. "I condemn in the strongest terms President Trump’s disgraceful pardon of more than 1,000 criminals, many of them violent, who overran the U.S. Capitol, desecrated the seat of our democracy, and assaulted law enforcement in their failed attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power," he said.

The resolution, titled Condemning the Pardons for Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers, succinctly states: "Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers." The senators plan to seek unanimous consent to pass the resolution on the Senate floor this week.

By the numbers:

Data from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia indicates that approximately 1,572 individuals have been federally charged in connection with the January 6 attack. Among them, 598 faced charges for assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement or obstructing officers during a civil disorder. This includes 171 defendants accused of using deadly or dangerous weapons or causing serious bodily harm to officers.

Others Involved:

The resolution was co-authored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Representative Andy Kim (D-N.J.). It received broad Democratic support, with 47 senators signing on, including Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), among others.

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