Judge Rejects Jan. 6 Defendant’s Bid to Attend Trump Inauguration
The judge ruled that Russell Taylor’s cooperation and commendable behavior do not grant him permission to travel to Washington for the inauguration.
A federal judge has rejected a request from a defendant involved in the Jan. 6 events to visit Washington for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a journey that requires court consent due to his probation terms.
Russell Taylor, who entered a guilty plea for conspiracy related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, sought approval to accompany his wife and children to the ceremony set for Jan. 20, during which Trump is to be sworn in for a second term.
The judge pointed out the “particular nature and severity” of Taylor’s actions during the Capitol riot, recalling Taylor’s admission that his intention on Jan. 6, 2021, was to “intimidate” Congressional members and compel them to reject the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Lamberth highlighted Taylor’s plans to storm the Capitol, carry weapons and body armor, encourage others to arm themselves, breach police barricades, and threaten law enforcement during violent confrontations.
“This summary illustrates Mr. Taylor’s extraordinarily serious conduct,” the judge noted. “While he did not directly attack law enforcement, he threatened them and incited other rioters who were actively assaulting officers.”
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While acknowledging that Taylor had “commendably” accepted responsibility and cooperated with investigators, resulting in a considerably lenient probationary sentence compared to his co-defendants, Judge Lamberth reiterated that these factors do not permit him to attend the inauguration.
“Granting such permission to someone who carried weapons and threatened law enforcement to disrupt the previous Inauguration, while glorifying ‘insurrection’ against the United States, would not be appropriate,” Lamberth stated.
The judge mentioned he considered the invitation letter from Stewart, which praised Taylor’s character, but deemed it of “marginal” significance regarding the request to travel for the inauguration.
Other defendants from Jan. 6, including Cindy Young and Christopher Belliveau, have also tried to obtain permission to attend the inauguration.
