SALT LAKE CITY — One Inauguration Day action by President Donald Trump is already having an impact for a handful of Utahns.
Trump issued sweeping pardons to Jan. 6 defendants and ordered the Justice Department to dismiss the indictments of those with pending cases.
That means 18 Utahns convicted or charged in connection to the Capitol riot will receive clemency.
For one of those — activist John Sullivan, who was convicted of having a weapon at the Capitol — it means being released from prison.
Brad Bokoski of Eagle Mountain is another Utahn who will be exonerated. He and his son were convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors and have been serving probation.
“It’s just amazing. I cried a bit. I’m so happy. I hopefully can use this to get back to a normal lifestyle and then there’s also a path for some restorative justice that I’m working with other J6ers on," Bokoski said. “I’m happy to be pardoned. I’m happy to accept the pardon.”
“Once again, I personally believe this was entrapment on the grandest scale," he continued. "And everyone whether violence was committed, it was committed because it was provoked by the government and its agencies.”
A Scripps News and Ipsos poll in November found the majority of Americans opposed Jan. 6 pardons.
