A Smattering of Stormers

Let us not forget some of the most violent insurrectionists from January 6th, now all free.

Plane crashes, prosecutors ousted, USAID defunded, tariffs levied, U.S. Treasury records handed to a billionaire with no government role, and heated confirmation battles for the heads of the FBI, HHS, and national intelligence.

Pay attention, absolutely. But don’t let the relentless flood of new events obscure what is both unconscionable and, by now, familiar—meaning, in the case of the Trump presidency, anything older than a week.

Here’s a reminder of some of the most violent attackers of police on January 6, 2021—all now free, with the President’s approval.

David Dempsey injured police officers with “his hands, feet, flagpoles, crutches, pepper spray, and broken pieces of furniture,” according to charging documents. Sentenced to 20 years—now free.

This photo is of Peter Stager attacking police with a flagpole, sentenced to 52 months, now pardoned:

Dominic Pezzola, shown here breaking a window, creating an entry point for the rioters. Pezzola shouted “Trump Won!” upon being led out of the federal courtroom to begin serving his 10-year sentence in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release. That sentence has now been commuted.

Peter Schwartz, here wielding chemical spray against police, was sentenced to 14 years—now released.

This is Edward Jacob Lang, captured on video striking officers and swinging at them with an aluminum baseball bat.

And here is Edward Lang reacting to his presidential pardon. He tells the New York Post he is planning to run for office.

"I'm planning on it very soon," Lang said about a run for Congress in New York’s 19th Congressional District. "I’m a fundraising juggernaut."