Almost four years to the day since his father was arrested for his part in the January 6 Capitol riots, Jackson Refitt watched in shock as President Donald Trump signed an executive order pardoning and commuting sentences for his father and about 1,500 other rioters. .Reffitt has spent most of the last four years in hiding, constantly on the move every few months. He was the one who informed the FBI about his father’s involvement in the insurgency. Jackson’s father, Guy Refitt, was a member of the Texas Three Percenter group when they stormed the Capitol wearing body armor and carrying handguns and zip ties. He was caught on camera urging other rioters to attack the Capitol building and telling members of the militia group that he was going to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building by her ankles, “with her head banging every step down.” “Trump himself has granted a presidential pardon to set him free. The validation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will never happen again,” Refitt told WIRED. “I can’t imagine what he’s going through now. Reffitt is “terrified” of what will happen next, and has armed himself with a handgun and a rifle to protect himself and his girlfriend. Over the past few years, he has been targeted, harassed and threatened online .Since Trump pardoned everyone, the threat has become stronger.[In the last 24 hours] it’s worse than ever,” Refitt told WIRED. “I think it’s just because, again, the validation that Trump brings is just making people more motivated to just say bad, disgusting shit.” about the fallout from Trump’s blanket pardon. Tasha Adams, The former wife of Oath Keeper Stewart Rhodes, who was sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy by Trump, is also worried about what could happen. “Stewart is now out of prison and, frankly, I could use a little money, if that happened,” Adams wrote on his GoFundMe page on Tuesday, a few hours after his ex-husband was released from prison. The investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol became the largest in the history of the Department of Justice, and destroyed many right-wing militia groups in the country But with the stroke of a pen on Monday night, Trump has revived the militia movement, freeing its most prominent figures, including Rhodes and Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio. after J6 came back stronger, mainly because many of them were sentenced or pardoned,” said Luke Baumgartner, a researcher at the George Washington University Program on Extremism. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oath Keepers started showing up more, and seeing the Proud Boys step up their war tactics culture, especially against the LGBTQ community, as I have seen before. The leader is free, has a lot to do, and may feel right. We want to hear from you. Using a non-working phone or computer, contact David Gilbert at david.gilbert@wired.com or securely on Signal at DavidGilbert.01Guy Refitt was the first rioter to be tried for his actions on January 6 and initially received a sentence of seven years and three months, which was reduced by seven months in December following a Supreme Court ruling that led to the dismissal of obstruction charges against him. “I am very strong. Patriots, with the tremendous support of Patriot Warriors, as we navigate troubled waters,” Refitt wrote to an acquaintance from jail in a text message sent by prosecutors in December.
