Opinion

Will Trump Pardon the Newly Convicted Felon He Pardoned Before?

November 10, 2025

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This is getting to be a habit. Donald Trump did a massive pardoning of all of the incarcerated felons who got there from their crimes on January 6. Since the pardoning, news stories come out on a regular basis about repeat offenders. Just today a convicted J6 rioter was sentenced to 27 months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman. Gee, if you didn’t know better, you might almost think that Trump setting them all free was taken to be a kind of empowerment and license to go on and commit other crimes, now wouldn’t you? New York Times:

A felon whose sentence President Trump commuted in the final hours of his first term was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Monday after being accused of a range of criminal conduct — including physical and sexual assault — since Mr. Trump freed him.

The sentencing of the man, Jonathan Braun, who had a long history of violence and in 2011 pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering, demonstrates how Mr. Trump’s handling of pardons and commutations has allowed some convicts to return to criminality.

Mr. Braun, whose family used a connection to Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to obtain the commutation in January 2021, is at least the eighth convict to whom Mr. Trump granted clemency during his first term who has since been charged with a crime. Several others pardoned more recently after being convicted of crimes committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol have also run into trouble with the law.

Mr. Braun, despite receiving a commutation from Mr. Trump, was still on supervised release, essentially a federal version of parole. But prosecutors said Mr. Braun had continued a pattern of violence, including sexually assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and threatening a congregant at his synagogue.

Quite the charmer, eh what? And it goes on. He also assaults kids as well.

He was also accused of assaulting a 3-year-old, and was continuing to make usurious loans to struggling small businesses. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto of Federal District Court in Brooklyn found this year that he had violated the terms of his supervised release, and federal prosecutors asked that the judge sentence him to five years in prison.

On Monday, Judge Matsumoto gave Mr. Braun 27 months, but he will have to serve only 20, because he was given credit for previous time in custody this year. The judge also said he must serve three and a half years of supervised release after his sentence, and undergo six months of residential treatment for drug abuse and mental illness.

The Braun case demonstrates how Mr. Trump has eschewed a longstanding Justice Department process of formally reviewing clemency applications, instead handing out pardons and commutations in a freewheeling manner unlike any previous president. He has helped supporters, comparing their prosecutions to the witch hunts he says were waged against him.

CREW reports that at least ten convicted J6ers have been convicted for other post-January 6 crimes, which include “plotting murder of FBI agents, child sexual assault, possession of child sexual abuse material and reckless homicide while driving drunk—underscoring the public safety threats posed by the pardoned insurrectionists.”

In two cases, the insurrectionists committed the crimes after receiving their pardons. An additional pardoned rioter was killed during a traffic stop when he reportedly resisted arrest and was armed.

Andrew Taake: According to the FBI, Taake assaulted Capitol Police officers with pepper spray and a metal whip. He was sentenced to over six years in prison for his role in the insurrection. After Trump’s pardon, he was rearrested on previous charges of soliciting a minor.
Edward Kelley: Kelley was one of the first insurrectionists to breach the Capitol and was found guilty on several charges related to January 6th. He was convicted on charges of plotting to murder the FBI agents who investigated him in the January 6th case and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
Emily Hernandez: Hernandez pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a building and restricted grounds. After Trump’s pardon, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing a drunk driving accident in 2022 that killed one person and injured another.
Daniel Ball: According to prosecutors, Ball attacked police officers with an explosive device during the insurrection. He was rearrested days after Trump’s pardon for illegal gun possession given his felony record of domestic violence and strangulation.
David Daniel: According to prosecutors, Daniel was part of the attempt to break through a barricaded Senate door and pleaded guilty to resisting police officers. He remains in custody after Trump’s pardon on possession of child sexual abuse material charges brought in 2024.
Shane Jason Woods: Woods pleaded guilty to assaulting police and a press photographer. After Trump’s pardon, Woods was convicted in April for multiple counts including reckless homicide and driving under the influence in 2022.
Theodore Middendorf: Middendorf pleaded guilty to destruction of government property on January 6th. He was previously sentenced in 2024 to 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a seven year old and remains in prison.
Taylor Taranto: Taranto was convicted of several crimes related to January 6th including possession of an unregistered firearm. He was arrested in 2023 for illegal gun possession and making a threat to blow up the National Institute of Standards and Technology and was convicted this May.
Brent John Holdridge: Holdridge pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building on January 6th. He was arrested in May for stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of industrial copper wire and faces charges of burglary, grand theft and possession of stolen property.
Zachary Alam: Alam was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the insurrection. After Trump’s pardon, Alam was rearrested in May for an alleged home invasion and theft.