Nearly four years to the day since then His father was detained For his role in January 6 Capitol riotJackson Reffitt watched in complete shock as President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring this Pardons and reduced sentences To his father and about 1,500 other rebels.
Rivette has spent most of the past four years in hiding, constantly moving every few months. He was the one who Notify the FBI About his father’s involvement in the rebellion. Jackson’s father, Jay Reffitt, was a member of the Texas Three Percenter group when he stormed the Capitol wearing body armor and carrying a gun and ties. He was caught on camera urging other rioters to storm the Capitol and told members of his militia group that he intended to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building by her ankles, “hitting her head every step of the way down.”
Trump himself granted him a presidential pardon to set him free. “This validation is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you’ll never get again,” Rivett tells WIRED. “I can’t imagine what he would be willing to do now. It could get a lot worse.”
Rivette was “terrified” about what would happen next, and armed himself with a pistol and a shotgun to protect himself and his friend. Over the past few years, he has been targeted, harassed and threatened online.
Since Trump pardoned everyone, the threats have become more severe.
“[In the last 24 hours] “It’s worse than ever,” Rivett tells WIRED. “I think just the validation that Trump brings, again, makes people a lot more emboldened just to say some vile, disgusting nonsense.”
Reffitt is not the only family member of a prisoner released on January 6 who is concerned about the ramifications of Trump’s sweeping pardon. Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Whig leader Stuart Rhodes, whose 22-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy was commuted by Trump, is also concerned about what might happen. “Stewart’s out of jail now, and honestly, I could really use a little cash flow, if it comes to that.” Adams wrote on her GoFundMe page on Tuesday, hours after her ex-husband was released from prison.
The investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol has become the largest in the Justice Department’s history, leaving many of the country’s far-right militia groups in ruins. But with one stroke of his pen on Monday evening, Trump revitalized the militia movement, freeing its most prominent figures, including Rhodes and Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio.
“One of the things that concerns me most is the danger of groups that were eliminated after J6 coming back stronger, especially since many of them had their sentences commuted or were pardoned outright,” says Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University. Program on extremism “I wouldn’t be shocked if Oath Keepers started to become more visible, and see the Proud Boys accelerating their culture war tactics, especially against the LGBTQ community, as we’ve seen before. Their leaders are free, have a lot to catch up on, and are likely to feel vindicated.” .
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Are you a family member of a January 6 prisoner who was released? We would love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, call David Gilbert at david.gilbert@wired.com Or securely on Signal at DavidGilbert.01
Guy Reffitt was the first rioter to be tried for his actions on January 6, initially receiving a seven-year-three-month prison sentence, which was reduced by seven months in December after a Supreme Court ruling led to the obstruction charge being dropped. Against him.
“I am a very strong patriot, with amazing support from the Patriot Warriors, as we navigate turbulent waters,” Reffitt wrote to an acquaintance from prison in a text message provided by prosecutors at his re-sentencing in December.
