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By Katherine Fung and Jenna Sundel
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A January 6 defendant said she would refuse a pardon from President Donald Trump on Monday.
Pam Hemphill, a South Carolina resident who served a federal prison sentence for her role in the riot, said in a video posted to X: "I will not accept a pardon because that would be an insult to the Capitol Police officers, to the rule of law and to the nation.
Hemphill told Newsweek she contacted her attorney about refusing the pardon.
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"Taking a pardon would be taking a part of what January 6 has been trying to do [which] is rewrite history," Hemphill said. "[To say] that [the Capitol riot] was a peaceful protest and the DOJ was weaponized against them. And I'm not going to play a part of that. It's not true."
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Why It Matters
Trump granted clemency on Monday to around 1,500 people convicted of crimes related to their participation in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. This includes defendants convicted of violent crimes, including assaulting police officers.
What To Know
Hemphill pleaded guilty to one count of demonstrating, picketing or parading in a Capitol building in 2022. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison and 36 months of probation. She was also ordered to pay $500 restitution.
"I pleaded guilty because I was guilty," she said. "And you know, all that falsehood and all the gaslighting they do, it started with Trump, of course, with election being stolen, and they jumped on this narrative, lying about everything that we have debunked."
After her incarceration, Hemphill became a vocal critic of Trump.
"I believe that Trump was only re-elected only because of disinformation, false narratives and misleading propaganda campaigns promoted by everyone from powerful congressional campaigns committees and billionaires like Elon Musk to paid Russian trolls and the brainwashed MAGA disciples," Hemphill said on X.
She said accepting a pardon would contribute to "the gaslighting and the falsehoods" being pushed by Trump and his base that January 6 was a "peaceful protest."
Hemphill initially told Newsweek she would refuse the pardon before Trump took office.
In 2023, Trump responded to a post stating that Hemphill would spend more time in prison than Hunter Biden, calling it "HORRIBLE!"
"Don't be using me for anything, I'm not a victim of [January] 6," Hemphill responded.
She previously told Newsweek that Trump should also be prosecuted.
"Trump is a dangerous, and I mean a dangerous narcissist. He needs to be put in prison," Hemphill said. "In my opinion, he has committed crimes and needs to be held accountable. He's not above the law."
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump, during remarks in the Oval Office: "These people have been destroyed. What they've done to these people is outrageous. There's rarely been anything like it in the history of our country."
Pam Hemphill, on X: "We are going to have to do more work than we probably ever had to do before. But it has to be done, because this is a fascist takeover. But history has shown that when we stand up and we will, I think they're underestimating the Democrats. I really believe that they're ready to push back."
What Happens Next
Trump said he hopes that the defendants who remain incarcerated will be released immediately.
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Update 1/21/25 6:17 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from Pam Hamphill.
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