Judge Approves Jan. 6 Defendant’s Request to Attend Trump’s Inauguration
William Pope is permitted to participate in the event on January 20.
A man facing charges in connection with the January 6, 2021, incident at the U.S. Capitol is allowed to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, according to a federal judge’s ruling on January 7.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras stated in a brief order that William Pope “is authorized to travel to Washington, D.C. from January 19, 2025, through January 21, 2025, for the Presidential Inauguration.”
Previously, Pope had been restricted from traveling to Washington under a 2021 order, with exceptions made for court hearings and to view video footage of the events of January 6 that Congress allowed for in-person observation, as well as for a tour related to evidence gathering at the U.S. Capitol.
Charges against Pope include disorderly conduct within the Capitol building.
In a recent motion seeking permission to attend Trump’s inauguration, Pope, who is representing himself, indicated that he had received an invitation for the January 20 event and assured that he would behave “entirely peacefully” if granted access.
In response, federal prosecutors argued that Pope “poses a danger to the D.C. community, including the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and continue to serve the residents of the District.”
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Later, they emphasized: “Permitting William Pope to return to Washington, D.C., particularly to the Capitol building, could expose him to the law enforcement officers he resisted four years ago, placing him in a situation where he has already shown a disregard for the law.”
In his reply to the prosecution’s arguments, Pope pointed out that he was not charged with assault and that during his two visits to Washington since the charges were brought against him, he had experienced “nothing but positive interactions with Capitol Police.”
Judge Contreras stated that he was partially granting Pope’s request because he had not been charged with any assault or vandalism-related offenses.
At least one other defendant has been allowed to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. A prior request from defendant Eric Lee Peterson was also approved by a U.S. District Judge.
