(VitalNews.org) – Convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6 Capitol protest, a former Proud Boys leader is seeking a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump.
Joseph Biggs, who is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence, believes Trump will show clemency to him and other supporters who attended the rally.
Biggs was the first among dozens of convicted Proud Boys members to formally request a pardon from Trump.
His attorney Norm Pattis has publicly lobbied for clemency, arguing that Biggs’ imprisonment sends “a chilling message” about free speech and protest in America.
“The notion that Mr. Biggs is some sort of domestic terrorist that should sit behind bars for 17 years is a chilling message to everyone,” Pattis stated.
“And that is you ought not to write patriotic hyperbole and then attend a protest, because if you do, an ambitious prosecutor is going to turn your words into circumstantial evidence of intent to commit a crime. And that’s just un-American,” he continued.
Biggs expressed confidence in Trump’s support for January 6 defendants, stating, “Oh, I know he’ll pardon us. I believe that with all my heart.”
“I do believe that Donald J. Trump will pardon us and he should. We didn’t do anything. You know, we’re his supporters. We went there like he asked,” he added.
Trump has indicated he would pardon many January 6 defendants but has not specified who would be included.
The idea of benefiting from pardons has led several defendants to request delays in their hearings until after Trump’s inauguration.
However, the Department of Justice opposes these delays, stating that expectations of a pardon are merely theoretical and not a sure outcome.
In his letter to Trump, Pattis praised Trump’s “re-election” and compared the potential pardon to post-Civil War clemency for Confederate supporters.
He argued that pardoning Biggs would help heal national divisions and restore confidence in America’s future.
Other high-ranking Proud Boys members, including former chairman Enrique Tarrio, also plan to seek pardons from Trump.
Supporters of the January 6 defendants are urging Trump to create a systematic approach to handling pardon requests to avoid overwhelming his administration once he takes office.
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