Edward Kelley, a veteran pardoned by Trump, was found guilty of trying to kill officers who investigated him
A U.S. military veteran who previously received a pardon from former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot has been sentenced to life in prison for plotting to attack an FBI office and assassinate federal law enforcement officers.
Edward Kelley, 36, was found guilty last November of conspiring to murder federal employees, soliciting violence, and threatening a federal official. Prosecutors say Kelley had planned to use car bombs and drone explosives to target the FBI’s Knoxville, Tennessee office, and had compiled a “kill list” of law enforcement officials involved in investigating him for his role in the Capitol attack.
According to the Justice Department, Kelley was among the first individuals to breach the U.S. Capitol on January 6, when rioters stormed the building in an effort to block the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win over Trump.
Although Kelley had been pardoned by Trump for his Capitol-related charges, a judge ruled that the pardon did not apply to this new conspiracy case, allowing the prosecution to move forward.
Austin Carter, a co-conspirator who admitted guilt, became a cooperating witness and testified that the two had planned to assassinate FBI employees in both private and public locations, including movie theaters.
“He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places,” the Justice Department said.
Kelley, a former U.S. Marine who served for eight years before being discharged in 2015, showed no remorse, according to prosecutors. He had previously been convicted in a separate case of three felonies, including assaulting law enforcement officers, civil disorder, and destruction of government property during the Capitol riot.
On his first day back in office this January, Trump issued pardons or commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6 insurrection. That day, Trump had urged his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn the election. Although he was impeached for inciting the riot, he was acquitted by the Senate, clearing the way for another presidential run.
The Kelley case also highlights broader concerns within the Justice Department. A former January 6 defendant was recently revealed to be working as an adviser to Ed Martin, who now leads the Trump administration’s “Weaponization Working Group.” The group, established in February, is tasked with investigating whether federal agencies under the Biden administration have used their powers for political purposes, according to a DOJ memo.
