ROCK HILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A York County man is reportedly among the more than 1,000 defendants pardoned by President Donald Trump for their convictions tied to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The attorney for Elliot Bashai told Queen City News that his client was pardoned. Don Brown previously pointed out that Bashai, who pled guilty in April 2022 to a trespassing charge, was not accused of anything violent.
According to the Department of Justice, Bashai was sentenced to 14 days in jail, followed by 12 months of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay a $500 restitution.
“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said Monday while signing orders in his first day back in the Oval Office.
Brown said in December that he anticipated Bashai would qualify for the pardons proposed by Trump before taking office. He noted the length it took to prosecute the cases.
“They spent four years there having been brought to trial,” Brown said. “It throws the Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial in the trash can.”
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis was among the Republicans in Congress to criticize the sweeping action, rather than look them case by case.
“I just can’t agree. I’m about to file two bills that will increase the penalties up to and including the death penalty for the murder of a police officer,” said Tillis.
