Jan. 6 Defendant Rejects Pardon; New Acting Capitol Police Chief Named; Mike Lindell Defamation Trial Begins

January 6th Defendant Rejects Pardon

• 💡 Pamela Hempill, a January 6th defendant, is formally rejecting a presidential pardon from President Trump.
• ⚖️ Hempill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and states she cannot accept a pardon because she would not be "right with God" if she accepted it for something she knows she did.
• ⚠️ She believes the broader pardons send a dangerous message that the January 6th insurrection was righteous or a peaceful protest.
• 💬 Hempill has faced vitriol on social media from Trump supporters for this public break.

New Acting Capitol Police Chief

• 👮 Sean Gallagher has been named the new acting head of the US Capitol Police.
• 🏛️ Gallagher, a former lieutenant within the department, has been involved in congressional hearings reviewing the failures of January 6th.
• 🚨 He takes over from retired Chief Thomas Manger, who aimed to rebuild the agency after the insurrection.
• 📈 The department faces a soaring number of threats against federal lawmakers, estimated at 10,000 per year, and is requesting nearly a billion dollars in funding.

Mike Lindell Defamation Trial

• 🗳️ The trial against My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell is set to begin, initiated by a former executive from Dominion Voting Systems.
• 🗣️ The lawsuit alleges defamation due to Lindell and his companies spreading misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election fraud.
• 🎤 Mike Lindell is listed as a witness for both the plaintiffs and the defense in the federal courthouse trial in Denver.