As defendant Jan. 6 blames Trump, DOJ tells jurors ex-president not to be tried

WASHINGTON – A federal prosecutor on Thursday told jurors that former President Donald Trump, who was not on trial as a defendant on January 6, sought to blame the former president for his decision to loot the US Capitol.

Dustin Thompsona 38-year-old Ohio resident, with a college degree, told jurors this week he hoped to get Trump’s “respect” and “approval” as he stormed the Capitol. on January 6, 2021. Thompson explained that he was caught up in conspiracy theories after he lost his job at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and believed Trump’s baseless claims about a 2016 election. 2020 is stolen.

A jury will soon decide the fate of Thompson, who testified that he “obey the orders of the presidentWhen he stole a bottle of wine and a coat rack from inside the Capitol.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney William Kennelly Deri said in closing arguments that this was “an easy case” and that the jury should not consider Trump’s conduct in determining Thompson’s guilt, calling the effort the of the defense to blame the former president is a “performance”.

Prosecutors told jurors that Trump and Rudy Giuliani, an ally of the former president, could not authorize Thompson’s conduct, alleging that Samuel Shamansky, the defendant’s attorney, was trying to distract the defendants. jurors from the conduct of their clients.

Shamansky tell the jury that the January 6 “conspiracy” began “at the highest levels of our government” and that Trump took advantage of “vulnerable” supporters like his client who “believed on the lies that fed them” in the months leading up to the attack.

Dreher argued that Thompson’s attorney focused on what Trump said on the morning of January 6 because he wanted jurors to forget what his client did that afternoon.

“He wants you to think that you have to choose between President Trump and his client,” the prosecutor said. “You don’t have to choose, because this is not President Trump’s criminal trial.”

Dreher also noted that jurors may think Trump is responsible for the attack, “lied to the American people,” and still find Thompson guilty.

“You might think that on the morning of January 6, President Trump encouraged the crowd… You might think they were doing things… that made President Trump happy,” the prosecutor said. The defendant was “an adult, not a child. President Trump did not hold hands as he walked down the Capitol.”

In his final argument, Shamansky told jurors that Thompson was “assaulted” by Trump’s lies, saying, “Honestly, a gangster in power makes statements it’s in the tape.”

Nearly 800 defendants were arrested in connection with the January 6 attacks, and Hundreds more suspects have been identified for the FBI.

The total number of people suspected of entering the Capitol illegally on January 6 or assaulting members of law enforcement or the outside media is close to 3,000.

More than 250 defendants pleaded guilty and penalties ranged from several months of probation to more than five years in federal prison.

Thompson is the third defendant on January 6 to face a jury trial. The first two defendants face a jury – Guy Refitt and Thomas Robertson – both were found guilty of all counts.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here