OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT/Gray News) – A social media influencer who pleaded guilty to a count of disorderly conduct related to the Jan. 6 riots was released following a pardon from President Trump.
Brandon Straka is the founder of the #WalkAway campaign, which encourages people to leave the Democratic Party.
He was also at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building as part of a plea agreement.
“We asked the DOJ if they would drop the felony charges if I plead guilty to a misdemeanor, and ultimately, that’s what ended up happening,” Straka said.
He received a three-year probation sentence, which he said would have ended Thursday, Jan. 23.
Regardless, Straka said he was relieved when he got his pardon from President Donald Trump Monday night.
“At the same time, I also felt very emotional because I know what I’ve gone through for the last four years, and I know what everybody that has been dragged into this has gone through,” he said.
Straka denies participating in a riot. By accepting the plea deal, he said he pleaded guilty to things he claims were not true.
Among the accusations are those from prosecutors who said he was shouting “Go!” to encourage the crowd to enter the Capitol building.
But Straka has a different take.
“There was a girl pushing her way out of the crowd,” he said. “And as she was pushing her way out, it caused everybody to begin to sort of lose their footing. And so I created an opening for her and I said, ‘Go, Go.’ And she responds to me and says, ‘Relax. Relax. I’m going.’”
Straka said he doesn’t believe he is the reason people felt afraid.
“I don’t believe I engaged in any behavior that was frightening or harmful,” he said. “But nonetheless, I was present at an event where that happened, and I think that’s regrettable.”
Not everyone is happy about Trump’s pardon of more than 1,500 people who were at the Capitol that day, however.
Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon said it should have been more targeted.
“Some of those who went inside the Capitol with the open door, there was no violence, no vandalism,” Bacon said. “I can see showing mercy to someone in that kind of situation. However, if you hit a cop, and there were 140 cops who were injured, or you vandalize the Capitol, I think there should be accountability. And so I would disagree with that part.”
Sen. Pete Ricketts seemed to echo that in a press call Wednesday.
“The people who assaulted police officers should have to carry out their sentences,” Ricketts said.
Straka said he has been living under federal supervision in Omaha.
He was in Washington D.C. Wednesday because he was attending events leading up to Trump’s inauguration.
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