WASHINGTON - The House Select Committee investigating the Jan.6 Insurrection began Tuesday amid hundreds of criminal prosecutions. These prosecutions have documented for months the violence at Capitol Work. Meanwhile, police officers gave horrifying accounts of the brutal attacks they suffered that day.A Kentucky couple appeared in court virtually to plead guilty in the morning to the charge of participating in the riot. A judge issued a 54-page opinion in the afternoon explaining why the defendant accused of attacking the Capitol with chemical spray should remain in jail. Between the two, a new set was unveiled that alleged violence against police.While the House committee is focusing on the macro-level factors that drove a mob consisting of thousands of Trump supporters to the Capitol, the 500+ criminal cases that have been filed so far are largely focused upon the micro-level investigation of each rioter and how it fits into the chaos that temporarily stopped Congress certifying the presidential election results.In a matter of hours, the congressional probe merged with the ongoing seven-month-old criminal investigation. The testimony of Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gnell, and DC officers Michael Fanone, and Daniel Hodges, about being verbally and physically assaulted by US Capitol Police officers, led to a long opinion from Emmet Sullivan explaining why he decided to keep Robert Gieswein in prison, while the case moves forward.Gieswein was charged with multiple counts of assaulting officers at Capitol and interfering in their affairs. He also used a chemical spray to attack them and was seen swinging a bat around the grounds. His lawyer said that Gieswein was not charged with actually hitting anyone. He also stated that he arrived at the Capitol armed and wearing tactical gear to protect himself and not to inflict violence.Sullivan wasnt convinced. Echoing the testimony of Fanone and other officers, Sullivan stated that Gieswein posed a threat to the community because of the violence he allegedly committed based upon his belief that former president Donald Trump had stolen the presidential election. Sullivan said that Gieswein displayed a disregard for law enforcement and public safety. Gieswein's statements after Jan. 6, that he did not believe he had done anything wrong, caused concern by the judge.The evidence from the government shows Mr. Gieswein holding a baseball bat, an aerosol spray bottle, and forcefully advancing against law enforcement officers. He was clearly outnumbered by rioters, and clearly in a defensive posture at multiple points on January 6, 2021. Sullivan wrote.Just an hour before Sullivan's opinion was published, the Justice Department announced a new case in which a Pennsylvanian man was charged with assaulting officers at the Capitol on January 6. Samuel Lazar is accused of spraying chemical chemicals on officers outside the building, just like Gieswein. The charges against him included photos of him in tactical gear, camouflage facepaint and speaking into a bullhorn. Prosecutors also mentioned a video in which he admitted to attacking officers. HuffPost reported that Lazar was photographed with Doug Mastriano (a Pennsylvania state senator who supported Trump's false claims about his election win) and was also present at the Capitol grounds on January 6.We maced them, those tyrannical shit pieces, and they took the building. Lazar said that at the time. Brother, I was at the tip of your spear right in front. You have to be there.US District Judge Reggie Walton, however, accepted the guilty pleas of Thomas and Lori Vinson, husband-and-wife defendants, earlier in today. Gieswein was not charged with violence, but the Vinsons were. They pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge for parading, pickingeting and protesting inside the Capitol. This charge, which carries a maximum sentence up to six months in prison, is the most commonly pleaded guilty to by defendants only charged with misdemeanors.Although the Vinsons were not charged with any serious misconduct in connection to the Jan. 6 riots Walton stated that he believes they are responsible for what happened, a theme that other judges have highlighted in these cases. Lori Vinson shared on Facebook that she was among the first to enter the Capitol. She also did media interviews after being fired as a nurse. She said that she wasn't sorry and would do it again tomorrow.Walton stated that he found Vinsons' case troubling. He described Jan. 6th as an atrocious act of democracy and briefly considered whether he should put the couple in prison until October. This was unusual considering they had been allowed to return home in February after being arrested. Prosecutors hadn't requested to revoke this permission at the moment. Judge asked him why they didn't think they would do something similar in the future, given that they had been allowed to go home after being arrested in February.Their lawyers and the couple insisted that they had cooperated with government officials since Jan. 6, and that nothing had changed that would indicate that they are a threat to the community. Walton refused to back down, but expressed dismay at Jan. 6 in general and the role played by nonviolent participants.Walton stated that I have taught in many countries and that I am always praising America's greatness. It will be hard for me to convince people from other parts of the globe that America is that shining light on top, given what happened that day. Although you didn't all engage in violence or destruction, your involvement was part of the mob mentality which caused it to happen.
