Saturday, January 10, 2026

A rare moment of clarity from a Republican on J6: “We Let Bad People Go”: Sen. Tillis Critiques the J6 Pardon Pipeline

NC Republican Thom Tillis admits we let bad people go. Refreshing honesty:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/general/we-let-bad-people-go-north-carolina-senator-says-of-president-trump-s-jan-6-pardons/ar-AA1TLIZ9

Tillis is an interesting Republican.  He originally worked as a warehouse clerk and in the insurance industry as he did not have the means to go to college.  Ultimately he ended up getting an online degree while working full time and raising a family, at the age of 36.

He then worked in consulting at various technology and accounting firms like Price Waterhouse Cooper and Wang Laboratories.

His political career was similarly from the ground up: he started as President of the PTA for his daughters school and then was in the State Legislature, before getting elected to Senate.

He is known for being a conservative although he supports bipartisan legislation often for veterans and for immigration reform.

When one looks through the names of folks who have received pardons for their J6 involvement, seen their subsequent arrests for other matters, this doesnt appear to be an earth shattering revelation.  However, he has drawn the ire of the current administration.

David Daniel latest J6er arrested for child sexual assault

 Assaulted a police officer,pardoned.  Sexually Assaulted a child (allegedly), prison:

https://www.newsweek.com/january-six-rioter-pardoned-trump-faces-child-sex-charges-2024043


Ethan Mauck sings the blues

Made a stand for his country, wonders why he has fallout: 

https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/01/06/five-years-later-hometown-jan-6-defendant-reflects-pardon-life-after-capitol-attack/

Article: J6 Pardons Risked Public Safety

 Where is that captain obvious meme when you need it?

https://otherwords.org/how-trumps-january-6-pardons-increased-risks-to-public-safety/

Joseph Schwartz pardoned once, starts prison for more nursing home fraud

 Ironic how Minnesota is such a hotbed of fraud, yet Trump pardoned a fraudster who couldn't get out of his state sentence for fraud: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/31/ny-man-pardoned-by-trump-returns-to-prison-to-serve-2nd-fraud-sentence/87959153007/ 

God forbid you prosecute rioters and insurrectionists

 You'd think prosecutors wouldn't be getting so much heat for prosecuting people who assaulted police, etc from the law and order crowd:

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/12/18/they-prosecuted-the-capitol-rioters-now-the-rioters-and-the-doj-are-after-them-0835

Roundup: at least 33 Pardoned J6ers charged with other crimes

 6 are charged with child sex crimes

2 Charged with rape

2 allegedly killed people while driving drunk, 3 just caught driving drunk allegedly

Plus weapons violations, and the usual other very fine people types of crimes.  But many will go free:

https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/at-least-33-pardoned-insurrectionists-face-other-criminal-charges-but-many-are-now-going-free/

Oxymoron alert: J6er Elias Irizarry hired in Counterterrorism Role at Pentagon

 Qualified, maybe. Patriotic, I think we have a different definition of what constitutes patriotism.  In his defense he was just 19, if you ...