A previous backer of Trump, Pamela Hemphill, rejects and returns her pardon issued on January 6th.
A Fiery Rebel Turned Bold Challenger: Pamela Hemphill Bucks the Tide of Jan. 6 Pardons
In the whirlwind of pardons and commutations dished out by President Trump to his allies and confidants, one ex-MAGA enthusiast in Idaho, Pamela Hemphill, is stirring the pot by attempting to thwart her pardon.
Hemphill is one of the over 1,500 individuals who received a pardon from Mr. Trump earlier this year for their roles in the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Oddly enough, she now seeks the aid of her Republican senator to formally reject and block the pardon Trump bestowed upon her on his inaugural day back in the White House.
While Hemphill was once a vocal defendant in the largest criminal prosecution in U.S. history, she now appears to be alone as the only Jan. 6 defendant to spurn the clemency Mr. Trump offered.
Hemphill chatted with our News crew from her Idaho abode, expressing her views, "The pardons just serve to bolster their narrative, which is all lies, propaganda. We were guilty, period."
"We all know they're using gaslighting techniques. They're using January 6 to perpetuate Trump's narrative that the Justice Department was weaponized. That's bullshit! When the FBI paid me a visit, they were nothing short of professional. They treated me with great respect," she said.
Pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, Hemphill was involved in the violent crowd swarming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Prosecutors argued that Hemphill was leading the charge that confronted U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers trying to barricade the rioters. They claimed that Hemphill mobilized others to embark on Washington to certify the electoral vote after the 2020 election, according to court documents.
“On December 28, 2020, Hemphill posted encouragement to head to Washington, D.C., saying 'its a WAR!' On January 1, 2021, she posted a message 'on my way to Washington DC January 6th,'" the prosecution asserted.
In addition to her January 2022 guilty plea for unlawful parading, Hemphill was sentenced to a term that included three years of probation.
Her case resembles many other misdemeanor cases emerging from the U.S. Capitol siege, wherein members of the crowd were not accused of causing harm to police or damaging property - although prosecutors highlighted each rioter's role in eroding police lines, causing injuries, and harming American democracy.
Hemphill believes that the pardons for her and fellow members of the mob were unjustified and harmful to Americans' perception of the federal government.
"How could you live with yourself taking a pardon when you know you were guilty? You know that everyone there was guilty. I couldn't live with myself. I have to be right with me, and with God," she said.
Former Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer, who was replaced by the Trump administration in March due to a disagreement over a case, told our News that Hemphill's stance contrasts heavily with the conduct of other Capitol riot defendants who relentlessly clamored for pardons.
"Some Jan. 6 defendants phoned us incessantly seeking copies of their pardons. They wanted them fast! They wanted them framed and signed," Oyer revealed.
Court records reviewed by our News show that other Jan. 6 defendants have utilized their pardon certificates to argue their cases in court, discuss restitution payments, or tackle other legal matters. In stark contrast, Hemphill sought help from Sen. James Risch to secure a formal acknowledgment from the Department of Justice that she will not accept her pardon.
In an April 2 correspondence from the Office of the Pardon Attorney to Sen. Risch, the pardon attorney's office wrote, "Ms. Hemphill's rejection is noted." The letter stated that the Justice Department would not issue Hemphill a formal certificate to record her pardon.
In a statement to our News, a representative for Risch said, "The Office of U.S. Senator Jim Risch routinely assists constituents with matters pertaining to federal agencies or programs. For privacy concerns, we cannot disclose details about individual cases."
Hemphill has butted heads online and on podcasts with other Jan. 6 defendants over her stance on what she sees as the whitewashing of the Capitol riot. In a spring podcast segment, she debated Enrique Tarrio, a former Proud Boys leader who was found guilty at trial and received the longest prison sentence of any Jan. 6 defendant. Tarrio's sentence was commuted by Trump.
Hemphill told our News she expects her stance to draw the attention of the president.
"Trump will likely retort with something like ungrateful lady. He'll make sure I get stuck with the worst penalties imaginable. I won't be surprised," she said.
Our News' Justice correspondent, Scott MacFarlane, has been reporting on Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards in the process. His work has directly led to the passage of five new laws.
Pamela Hemphill, in a surprising twist, is seeking aid from her Republican senator to formally reject the pardon she received from President Trump for her role in the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Contrary to other Jan. 6 defendants who have clamored for pardons, Hemphill believes the pardons were unjustified and harmful to Americans' perception of the federal government.
