When they were sentenced to various jail terms, many of the extremists convicted of the assault on the Capitol showed signs of repentance before the judge. But now, as the political world gears up for next year’s presidential election, they are backing down.
Many believe that Congress should be filled with “patriots” and not “politicians.” This is the case of Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia state legislator who a year ago expressed before the judge his remorse for defrauding his family and his community by having made a “crucial mistake.”
But this week Evans is coming forward as the victim of a politically motivated prosecution when he runs for office in the same building he broke into on Jan. 6, 2021. He now calls the Justice Department prosecutions a “judicial error” and is describes himself on Twitter as a “J6 Patriot,” referring to the date of the incident.
“Some people have said I need to apologize and condemn #J6 if I want to win my election because the media will attack me,” he tweeted recently after announcing his bid for a 2024 US House seat.
QAnon follower sentenced for his role in the assault on the Capitol
But “I will not compromise my values or my beliefs. That’s what politicians do. We need patriots, not politicians.”
Evans joins a series of defendants for the assault on the Capitol who, when facing the possibility of spending time in prison, expressed in court their remorse for joining the assault that shook the foundations of American democracy, but that later they downplayed the riots after receiving their punishment.
Some defendants have drawn the ire of judges or the Justice Department for their incongruous comments. But the legal system can do little in the case of a sentenced person. And because some conservatives portray the January 6 defendants as martyrs, there is a political and possibly financial incentive for them to change their stance.
