Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Louie Gohmert (R-TX) rushed to a DC correction facility in July demanding to see those in prison for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The group claimed they were "concerned" about the detainees' treatment. The prison refused to allow them inside.
"We suspect there is a two-tier justice system in the United States, for Trump supporters that are charged for January 6, and catch-and-release for Antifa and BLM rioters that have rioted and destroyed cities," Greene said.
"We are not members of Congress who will go away ... If you believe you are mistreated, targeted, abused, or singled out as part of your politics and your lawful activity, know this — we will continue to fight for you," Gaetz claimed.
The Department of Corrections at the time released a statement saying that all people wishing to enter the facility must meet the rules and procedures of the DOC, which the members had not done.
An Associated Press analysis in The Columbian revealed that when comparing the Jan. 6 attackers with others facing trial, the insurrectionists are actually being treated better. The review looked at more than 300 federal cases from protesters arrested during the summer of George Floyd rallies. Dozens were charged, convicted of major crimes and sent to prison.
"The AP found that more than 120 defendants across the United States have pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial of federal crimes including rioting, arson and conspiracy," said the report. "More than 70 defendants sentenced so far have gotten an average of about 27 months behind bars. At least 10 received prison terms of five years or more."
"The property damage or accusations of arson and looting from last year, those were serious and they were dealt with seriously, but they weren't an attack on the very core constitutional processes that we rely on in a democracy, nor were they an attack on the United States Congress," the report cited professor Kent Greenfield from Boston College Law School.
While there are many who got lenient deals, there were at least 19 attackers who have been sentenced with no prison or "time served." In Portland 60 of the 100 arrests for protests were dismissed with deferred resolution agreements. So, as long as they're not arrested again, they get off with just community service. Capitol rioters are furious saying they should get such a deal, but so far only three were given prison time.
"The dissonance between the rhetoric of the rioters and their supporters and the record established by courts highlights both the racial tension inherent in their arguments — the pro-Donald Trump rioters were largely white and last summer's protesters were more diverse — and the flawed assessment at the heart of their claims," the report said.
The right-wing has demanded equal treatment to the Black Lives Matter protesters saying that somehow the attack on the U.S. Capitol and an attempted coup to bring down the legislature is the same as setting a Wendy's on fire. While both are certainly unacceptable, only one is serious enough to have impacted the federal government and is outlined as a crime in the constitution.
"The catalysts for the riot and the demonstrations for racial justice were also fundamentally different," the piece explained. "The mob of Trump supporters whipped up by the former president's lies about the election descended on the Capitol and pushed past police barriers, assaulted officers, smashed windows and sent lawmakers running in a stunning attempt to overturn the presidential election."
Demonstrations after the death of Floyd, however, were largely peaceful, only growing violent after dark. Those violent people were arrested.
"Just this month, a man who was 19 at the time was sentenced to four years behind bars and ordered to pay what his lawyer said is likely to exceed $1.5 million in restitution after pleading guilty to inciting a riot last spring in Champaign, Illinois," said the report.
By contrast, the Capitol attackers have mostly been charged with misdemeanors and standard plea deals.
"If it didn't have this political background, I think more people would have been let out," defense attorney Alexander Ramos told the AP.
