A man facing a felony charge related to the Jan. 6 capitol riot said that his "extraordinary work" fighting the allegations is what led to an invitation to President-elect Trump's inauguration.
"For the last four years, I've done the most extraordinary work of my life, both in fighting my own case and in helping other January 6 defendants and their attorneys. A lot of that work has been behind the scenes, but I've gained the respect of many who are involved, including some who are close to the Trump administration," William Pope said in an interview with The Sentinel.
Pope was granted a request to attend the inauguration earlier this month. Pope had been under a travel restriction while the charges were pending. In granting the request, the judge noted that his charges were non-violent in nature did not relate to "assault or vandalism."
In the interview, Pope was asked if he had any regrets, given the four years of legal entanglement.
"No," he told The Sentinel. "I embrace adversity, and I'm stronger because of it."
Four years ago, during the certification of President Joe Biden's election, Trump supporters clashed with police at the Capitol. In total, 1,583 people faced various federal charges, ABC News reported.
Trump has promised to pardon many, if not all, of those who had been charged, bringing into question the status of various criminal cases, ABC News reported.
In a previous interview with the Kansas City Star Pope said he did not think his June 2025 trial would ever happen: "I don't think my judge thinks it's going to happen. I think relief is coming for defendants, and I think my case is going to end in the near future."
