00:00The January 6th Capitol riot was one of the darkest days in recent American history,
00:05revealing not only just how close our government was to the brink, but also revealing just how
00:09many there were, and how coordinated those who wanted to overturn a presidential election,
00:14a bastion of American democracy, were. Now, more than two years later, a federal jury has
00:19convicted four of those responsible for initiating and coordinating the attack on our Capitol.
00:24The four convicted on May 4th were all members of the Proud Boys. The male chauvinist far-right
00:29neo-fascist organization. Ethan Nordian, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rel, and Proud Boys leader Enrique
00:35Tarrio were all convicted of seditious conspiracy, meaning they were found to have plotted to attack
00:40the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, where they attempted to prevent Congress from ratifying Joe
00:46Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Reuters reports these charges could entail up to
00:5120 years of jail time. The four were also found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding,
00:56as well as another Proud Boys member, Dominic Pizzola. This is a felony and may also carry up
01:01to a 20-year prison sentence. After the convictions, Attorney General Merrick Garland had some words for
01:07anyone thinking about defying American democracy in the future. The evidence presented at trial
01:12detailed the extent of the violence at the Capitol on January 6th and the central role these defendants
01:19in setting into motion the unlawful events of that day. Today's verdict makes clear that the Justice
01:27Department will do everything in its power to defend the American people and American democracy.
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