Trump grants second pardon to January 6 defendant for a different firearms charge.

President Donald Trump granted a second pardon to Daniel Edwin Wilson, a Kentucky man previously convicted for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot and a firearms offense. Wilson, 42, had been sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to impede police officers and illegally possessing firearms. Authorities found six firearms and approximately 4,800 rounds of ammunition in his home during an investigation related to the Capitol attack, which Wilson was accused of planning for weeks. He allegedly communicated with groups like the far-right Oath Keepers and the anti-government Three Percenters as he marched to the Capitol.

Initially, the Justice Department contended that Trump’s pardons for January 6 rioters did not cover Wilson’s firearms charges. However, this position was later revised, suggesting a change in interpretation of the Presidential Pardon’s intent. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich criticized the department’s shifting stance, suggesting it was “extraordinary” that prosecutors would argue against the applicability of pardons to illegal “contraband.”

After the pardon, Wilson was released from prison, with his attorney expressing gratitude for the recognition of perceived injustices in Wilson’s case. The pardon was linked to the circumstances of January 6, as the firearms were deemed improperly possessed in relation to the riots.

This decision continues President Trump’s trend of exercising his authority to support individuals involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Wilson’s pardon, part of a broader initiative that included earlier pardons for 1,500 similarly charged individuals, has raised concerns about justice and accountability regarding the Capitol events. No comments have been made by the Justice Department regarding the implications of this pardon on ongoing investigations related to January 6.