In a letter dated Jan. 30, addressed to Department of Central Management Services (CMS) Director Raven DeVaughn, Pritzker cited the State Personnel Code and said that anyone who took part in the Capitol breach should be considered guilty of “infamous or disgraceful conduct.” Pritzker specifically categorized involvement in the Jan. 6 protest as behavior falling under that definition.
“Recently, Donald Trump issued more than 1,500 clemencies and pardons for individuals who were convicted or accused of rioting at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Pritzker wrote.
He said that these individuals “attacked law enforcement officers protecting people in the Capitol, disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, and undermined bedrock principles of American democracy.”
Pritzker emphasized what he said was the importance of public safety and maintaining honesty within government ranks.
“Our State workforce must reflect the values of Illinois and demonstrate honesty, integrity, and loyalty to serving the taxpayers,” he wrote. “No one who attempts to overthrow a government should serve in government.
“To protect the integrity of our workforce and safety of our State, I hereby direct CMS to apply the State Personnel Code and consider any participation in the January 6 insurrection as infamous and disgraceful conduct that is antithetical to the mission of the State.”
Those pardoned or given reduced sentences had faced various charges related to the breach, including assaults on law enforcement, destruction of government property, and parading or demonstrating in a restricted area.
The incident occurred during the certification of the 2020 election, when a crowd entered the Capitol building while lawmakers and staff sought shelter.
Proponents of pardoning the defendants argued that many nonviolent offenders had been excessively punished, while others advocated that violent acts should not be excused. Trump maintained he was fulfilling a promise to review the cases of those he referred to as “J6 hostages.”
“If they were non-violent, I think they’ve been greatly punished,” Trump said in a Time magazine interview in December 2024. “They’ve suffered greatly, and in many cases, they should not have suffered.”
During a Fox News Sunday interview just prior to taking office, and before the pardons were issued, Vice President JD Vance said those who were violent on Jan. 6 “shouldn’t be pardoned.”
Pritzker’s office did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times before publication time.
