Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a new pardon to a participant in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This time, the pardon covers a conviction for possessing unlicensed firearms.
Dan Wilson, a member of the far-right militia group “Oath Keepers,” was among those who stormed the Capitol building during an attempt by Trump supporters to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Wilson had previously been included in a broad pardon issued by Trump on January 20, 2025, encompassing 1,500 individuals involved in the riot. However, Wilson remained incarcerated due to a separate conviction for possessing unregistered weapons at his home in Kentucky.
Wilson was sentenced to five years in prison and was expected to be released in 2028. Trump’s latest action, described as a “full and unconditional” pardon issued last Friday, enables his immediate release.
His lawyers, George Palas and Carol Stewart, told several U.S. media outlets that their client is a “good man,” asserting that “after more than seven months in prison unjustly, he is relieved to return to his family.” They argued that the pardon “restores his freedom and highlights the overreach that has divided the nation.”
In February, the Trump administration had stated that the previous pardon did not extend to the weapons charge because it was not directly related to the events of January 6th. However, the Justice Department reversed its position weeks later, arguing that the crime was discovered during the FBI’s investigation into the riot, and therefore should be covered by the pardon.
Trump has consistently downplayed the severity of the Capitol attack, previously describing it as a “day of love” and a “flood of affection” towards him, despite the fact that the attack resulted in the deaths of five people and shocked the United States and the world.
