Politics - News Analysis

Capitol Rioter Whose Life is Falling Apart Over the Siege is Now Cooperating With the Feds

Guess she's finally seen the light.

Gina Bisignano, a rioter who smashed a window at the Capitol in order to help herself and others gain access to the building, has pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges. She is now cooperating with FBI agents in the continuing investigation, presumably in exchange for sentencing considerations at the end of her trial.

Bisignano pleaded guilty to six of the seven charges against her: obstruction of official proceedings, civil disorder, disorderly conduct, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and physical vi0lence in a restricted building or grounds. It is presumed that the seventh charge, destruction of government property, will be dropped in the agreement.

In addition to famously helping to break the window while perched high on a ledge, Bisignano was an incessant cheerleader for the rioters’ actions, using a bullhorn to shout about needing weapons and gas masks, as well as phrases like “We the people are not going to take it anymore! You are not going to take away our Trumpy Bear! You are not going to take away our votes!”

Bisignano also yelled about former Vice President Mike Pence, who was a target of many of the insurrectionists that day after Trump basically blamed Pence for not stopping the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.

The details of the plea agreement, which was filed last August and just unsealed last week, show that Bisignano will be required to not just cooperate, but do so extensively. She could be made to take a polygraph at any time, and could even be required to “participate in covert law enforcement activities” — AKA taking part in sting operations to prosecute other rioters involved in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.

The former beautician was particularly engaged in the riot: She was maced fully in the face by law enforcement and still managed to do all the damage she did after. She may come to regret it, though — the obstruction charge alone carries up to 20 years in prison.

meet the author

Andrew is a dark blue speck in deep red Central Washington, writing with the conviction of 18 years at the keyboard and too much politics to even stand. When not furiously stabbing the keys on breaking news stories, he writes poetry, prose, essays, haiku, lectures, stories for grief therapy, wedding ceremonies, detailed instructions on making doughnuts from canned biscuit dough (more sugar than cinnamon — duh), and equations to determine the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow. A girlfriend, a dog, two cats, and two birds round out the equation, and in his spare time, Drewbear likes to imagine what it must be like to have spare time.

Comments

Comments are currently closed.