WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Donald Trump has promised pardons for people who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

And now that the president-elect is months away from returning to the White House, the accusers hope he keeps his word.

“We believe these people are entitled to a pardon because of the weaponization of the Justice Department,” said Edward Tarpley Jr. representing Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers.

Rhodes helped plan the January 6 uprising at the Capitol. Last year, he was convicted of seditious conspiracy, the most severe charge brought by the Justice Department, and is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence.

Tarpley said, “Stewart Rhodes never entered the Capitol. Stewart Rhodes never engaged in any violence. Stewart Rhodes never broke any property or committed any property damage. He was impeached for the things he said and the things he believed.”

The DOJ has brought charges against nearly 1,500 people from every state. About half have pleaded guilty, while others await trial.

Last summer, Trump was asked by ABC’s Rachel Scott at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago if he would pardon these people.

Trump replied: “Oh, absolutely. I would.”

Scott replied: “Would you forgive these (people)?”

Trump said: “If they are innocent, I would pardon them.”

Scott said: “They have been convicted.”

Trump took exception, saying, “Well, they were sentenced by a very, very tough system.”

Trump has also said he would pardon so-called “fake voters” who allegedly tried to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election to keep him in power.

Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said pardoning rioters and voter fraud would send the wrong message.

“That it’s okay to disregard the will of the people, to disregard an election, to put someone in power who wasn’t elected by the people. And I think that’s extremely dangerous going forward,” Bookbinder said.

CNN and CBS News polls show that most Americans oppose pardons for these defendants. And American University constitutional law professor Stephen Wermiel said the law has been applied correctly in those cases.

“To now sort of put your thumb on the scale and say, ‘Well, this was completely wrong from the start and these were just, you know, harmless people who wanted to see the Capitol on January 6th’ is kind of shocking to our understanding of the rule of law ,” Wermiel said.

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