U.S. attorney explains Jan. 6 Capitol riot prosecutions

More than 1,000 Americans have been convicted in the January 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol. About 350 trials are still pending and the FBI continues its dragnet for suspects. The attack that stopped the count of the presidential vote triggered the largest prosecution in U.S. history. But now, history is being challenged. Former President Donald Trump calls the convicted, “patriots” worthy of pardons. What is the evidence? We begin with the prosecutor in charge. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves told us what drives the prosecution of January 6th.

Matthew Graves: The crime was severe. It was an attack on our democracy. Once you replace votes and deliberation with violence and intimidation, you’ve lost the democratic process. You’ve lost the rule of law. But it’s also about the victims, the officer victims who were injured that day, and making sure we hold people accountable for the harm that they inflicted on the 140 officers who reported physical injury.

Matthew Graves has worked in the Bush and Biden Justice Departments. Now, as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, he’s won more than 1,000 January 6th convictions and lost only two of the cases at trial.

Scott Pelley: What is the best evidence that you’ve had?

Matthew Graves: The crimes that occurred that day are probably the most recorded crimes in all of our history. You also have the words of the defendants explaining what they were going to do or what they had done.

Evidence from the trials show many in the mob were determined to stop the count of the electoral vote that would certify Joe Biden’s victory. They were enraged by President Trump’s false claims of a stolen election. 

Scott Pelley: You must’ve felt strongly to drive 2,000 miles to Washington.

Jerod Hughes: Yes, sir. I still feel very strongly.

Jerod Hughes came from Montana. He’s a married, 39-year-old construction worker with a daughter and a grievance. 

Jerod Hughes: The way this country’s headed, my paycheck– you know, my wife’s disabled, and it’s been hell for us to try to, you know, try to make it with the tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills, you know? And a lot of us see Donald Trump, the outsider, comin’ in and tryin’ to– and tryin’ to help us out, tryin’ to help the little guy out against the…