Politics - News Analysis
National Guard Member Who Rioted on Jan 6 Wearing ‘Trump Girl’ Sweatshirt Pleads Guilty
Do you remember “Trump Girl?” No, she’s not Kayleigh McEnany, Kellyanne Conway, or even Sarah Huckabee Sanders. And she’s definitely not Ivanka.
If your memory needs a little jogging I’ll give you a quick recap: Her name is Jamie Lynn Ferguson. She’s a member of West Virginia’s National Guard and like far too many other people, she allegedly stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. While wearing a “Trump Girl” sweatshirt. This is of course how Ferguson, 44, earned that nickname.
Business Insider reports that Ferguson faced four charges related to the part she played in the failed siege. The charges included entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct. But the government faces a tough slog, with hundreds of cases to prosecute since 870 people have been arrested in connection with the deadly riot. So federal prosecutors have been offering some rioters lesser charges as long as they plead guilty.
On Wednesday, Ferguson pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. With that, she potentially faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison and possibly a $5000 fine.
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According to court documents, Ferguson was arrested last May after the FBI was able to identify her in the dark blue sweatshirt that read “Trump Girl” and the green backpack she carried as she entered the Capitol building.
In January 2021, a report submitted to the FBI, the Office of Special Investigations for the Department of the Air Force confirmed that Ferguson, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, was suspected of taking part in the insurrection. The agency was able to confirm that Ferguson had taken leave from January 5 to January 7 and that she listed Washington, D.C. as her destination, according to a criminal complaint.
When Ferguson was interviewed by the FBI in January 2021, she said she attended the “Stop The Steal” rally with her parents, who left before the riot began, according to prosecutors. She told officers that she continued to the Capitol building because she hoped to see then-President Donald Trump again.
Investigators have also been reviewing her social media accounts in the aftermath of the riot. Prosecutors say Ferguson posted a “picture of a crowd in front of the US Capitol building with a storm cloud and Mt. Rushmore above the building that read ‘Jan. 6, 2021 — a Storm of Patriots will fight for the Republic, this will be an historic day.”
It certainly was. Despite the devastation wrought at the Capitol that day, despite the threats against Vice President Mike Pence’s life, and despite whatever Donald Trump wanted, Joe Biden was certified as the 46th President of the United States. Democracy nearly lost out but fortunately didn’t.
I wonder if “Trump Girl” realizes that Donald Trump has probably never heard of her and probably doesn’t care that she’s facing imprisonment? I also wonder if Ferguson is starting to realize that the man she fought for is really only interested in his own personal gain?
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