Some of the people who stormed Capitol didn’t vote in election
Although their protest was against results, alleged participants in the Capitol riots did not exercise their right this past November.
Multiple citizens who decided to storm the Capitol in support of former President Donald Trump did not vote in the 2020 presidential election which could have secured their desired POTUS a second term.
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According to CNN, multiple “Stop the Steal” supporters who proudly entered the Capitol building on illegal terms did not issue a vote in November. The outlet reported at least eight of the people who are now faced with criminal charges for their alleged involvement in the violent events at the Capitol did not vote in November 2020. The news outlet analyzed voting records from the states where protestors were arrested and used public records.
Overall, CNN obtained voting records for more than 80 of the arrestees and obtained voting records for more than 80 of the initial arrestees.
Jessica Stern, a Boston University professor who has focused on research on extremists for decades, informed the outlet there are multiple factors that may have been at play in each rioters decision not to vote. According to her knowledge and experience speaking with people who hold extremist ideals, they could have believed the election was already rigged and their vote would not matter. Another proposed theory is participants were more attracted to the event than actually achieving a goal.
theGrio reported participants in the attempted insurrection have claimed their actions were directly influenced by orders from Trump in testimony. During the riot, the crowd chanted “We were invited here. We were invited by the president of the United States,” as they breached the Capitol. According to the report, court documents revealed that those arrested have carried this same energy on the stand.
“President Trump said to do so,” Robert L. Bauer of Kentucky told the FBI. He and his cousin Edward Hemenway took selfies during the riot from inside the Capitol and participated in the “Stop the Steal” outcry. According to Bauer, the movement shifted towards the Capitol only after Trump told them to march.
Read More: Acting Capitol police chief apologizes to Congress for riots
CNN reported of those who stood firmly against the election results in favor of President Joe Biden but did not vote to ensure a successful MAGA campaign included Donovan Crowl, a 50-year-old ex-Marine who has ties to self-styled militia organization in Ohio as well as the extremist group The Oath Keepers.
A county election official in Ohio told CNN that Crowl registered to vote in 2013 but “never voted nor responded to any of our confirmation notices to keep him registered.” According to the report, his mother confirmed her son’s intention in Washington D.C.
She told the outlet, “they were going to overtake the government if they…tried to take Trump’s presidency from him.”
Jack Griffith, a 25-year-old from Tennessee, shared a Facebook post saying, “THE CAVALRY IS COMING!!!!,” using the hashtag “#MAGA, before the riot shared a new message of defeat afterward. Data obtained by CNN revealed he voted in the 2016 and 2018 elections but not the 2020 presidential election.
“I hate to be that guy, but The New World Order beat us,” he wrote according to CNN. “Trump was our greatest champion, and it still wasn’t enough. He tried his very best. He did so much, but he’s only one man…I even helped stormed(sic) the capitol today, but it only made things worse…Why, God? Why? WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US? Unless…Trump still has a plan?”
Others listed by CNN was a 21-year-old woman from Missouri. According to the report, she filmed herself with a piece of wood taken from a sign in Nancy Pelosi, a 65-year-old Georgia man who was found in his vehicle carrying a fully-loaded pistol and ammunition, and a Lousiana resident who allegedly bragged about spending hours inside the breached building.
CBS News reported federal prosecutors have charged at least 181 people for their alleged actions during the riot and have opened over 400 investigations into possible criminals and crimes in connection to the unprecedented event. At least 20 of those arrested have also indicted by grand juries. At least 15 of those arrested are military veterans and two are currently serving in the Army and of the 17, seven have served in the U.S. Army, seven served in the Marines, one in the Air Force, and two in the Navy.
Of the arrests, 40 states outside of Washington, D.C were represented with the most were from Texas and New York with 18 and 14 respectively. Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey also had multiple arrests among residents. Most have been charged with minor crimes such as trespassing, but prosecutors plan to add felony charges as evidence becomes available.
“The scope and scale of this investigation in these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history but probably DOJ history,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin according to the outlet.
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