The son of a Capitol rebel is horrified by his father’s release

Almost four years to the day his father is detained for his participation in Riot on the Capitol on January 6Jackson Refitt watched in utter shock as President Donald Trump signed an executive order that pardoned and commuted sentences for his father and about 1,500 other rebels.

Refit has spent most of the past four years in hiding, constantly on the move every few months. He was the man who alerted the FBI about his father’s involvement in the uprising. Jackson’s father, Guy Reffitt, was a member of the Texas Three Centerer group when he stormed the Capitol wearing bulletproof vests, a gun and zip ties. He was caught on camera urging other rioters to storm the Capitol building and told members of his militia group that he intended to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the building by her ankles, “hitting her head every step of the way down.” “.

“Trump himself gave him a presidential pardon to set him free. That validation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that he’ll never get again,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I can’t imagine what he would be willing to do now.” It could get a hell of a lot worse.”

Refit is “terrified” of what will happen next and has armed himself with a handgun and a shotgun to protect himself and his friend. Over the past few years, he has been targeted, harassed and threatened online.

Since Trump pardoned everyone, the threats have become even more intense.

“(In the last 24 hours) it’s gotten worse than ever,” Reffitt tells WIRED. “I think just because, again, the validation that Trump brings, it just makes people that much more emboldened to just say some vile, disgusting shit.”

Reffitt is not the only family member of an inmate released Jan. 6 who is concerned about the ramifications of Trump’s blanket pardons. Tasha Adams, the ex-wife of Oath Keeper leader Stuart Rhodes, whose 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy was commuted by Trump, also worries about what could happen. “Stewart is out of jail now and to be honest, I could really use a bit of a management fund in case it comes to that.” Adams wrote on her GoFundMe page on Tuesday, hours after her ex-husband was released from prison.

The investigation into the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. became the largest in Justice Department history and left many far-right militia groups in the country in shambles. But with a stroke of a pen Monday night, Trump breathed new life into the militia movement, freeing its most prominent figures, including Rhodes and “Proud Boy” leader Enrique Tario.

“One of the things I’m most concerned about is the risk that the groups that were destroyed after J6 will come back stronger, especially since many of them have had their sentences commuted or been fully pardoned,” says Luke Baumgartner, a scientist Fellow at George Washington University. Program on extremism. “I wouldn’t be shocked if the Oath Keepers start showing up more and see the Proud Boys step up their culture war tactics, especially against the LGBTQ community, as we’ve seen before.” Their leaders are free, have a lot of catching up to do and probably feel vindicated.”

Any advice?

Are you a family member of a January 6 inmate who is being released? We’d love to hear from you. Using a non-working phone or computer, contact David Gilbert at david.gilbert@wired.com or secure on DavidGilbert’s Signal.01

Guy Reffitt was the first rebel to stand trial for his actions on January 6 and was initially given a sentence of seven years and three months, which was reduced by seven months in December after a High Court ruling led to the dismissal of an obstruction charge against him .

“I am a very strong patriot, with incredible support from the Patriot Warriors as we navigate troubled waters,” Reffitt wrote to a prison acquaintance in a text message sent by prosecutors at his sentencing in December.