Pamela Hemphill, a former supporter of President Donald Trump who served two months in prison for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has formally rejected the president’s pardon.
Hemphill told USA TODAY that she filed documents to turn down the pardon earlier this year with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney through the office of Sen. James Risch of Idaho.
“I don’t want to be a part of their narrative,” she told USA TODAY about why she didn’t accept the pardon. “And then, of course, it’s a slap in the face to the Capitol police officers and to our rule of law.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, Hemphill was among the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to protest the 2020 presidential election results.
She pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building and was sentenced to two months in jail, 36 months of probation and $500 restitution.
On Jan. 20, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in the Capitol attack.
In an April 2 letter to Sen. Risch that Hemphill shared with USA TODAY, the Pardon Attorney’s office said it noted her “non-acceptance” of the pardon.
“Our Office will not issue Ms. Hemphill a certificate of pardon and will refrain from requesting any notation of pardon on her criminal history record,” the letter says.
A spokesperson for Sen. Risch said the senator’s office regularly assists constituents with matters pertaining to federal agencies and declined to reveal additional details about Hemphill’s case.
The Office of the Pardon Attorney and the White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.
‘It was not OK that day’
The 72-year-old said she pursued formally turning down the pardon because she wanted to be honest.
“How could I live my life knowing that I was guilty and then I took that pardon?” she said. “It’s kind of like a message that it was OK that day − it was not OK that day. That was the worst day of my life.”
She said choosing to speak out against Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons has been difficult at times, citing backlash she’s received from some Trump supporters. But “it’s been worth it to know that maybe there’s another Pam out there that might listen to me and and get away from the MAGA call,” she said.
“The benefits of being honest with yourself outweigh any of the smear campaigns you might get or the backlash, because you sleep good at night,” she said. “It’s inner peace.”
Hemphill said she started to reconsider her support of Trump about six months after she was released from prison in 2022.
“It’s been a gradual process, it’s not like I had a white light experience,” she said.
Since then, Hemphill has spoken out against Trump and his narrative surrounding the Capitol attack. She also voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Can a presidential pardon be rejected? How Capitol rioter turned it down
According to the Constitution, a pardon can be rejected by the person it is tendered to.
After Trump issued pardons for the Jan. 6 defendants, Hemphill said she initially wrote a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney asking to not be included in the act.
Sen. Risch’s office helped her file the correct paperwork, she said, and about a month later they received the formal letter acknowledging her “non-acceptance” of the pardon.
Jason Riddle, a New Hampshire man who served 90 days in jail for participation in the attack, said in January that he also rejected the pardon, according to New Hampshire Public Radio. It’s unclear whether any other individuals charged in the riot have turned down Trump’s pardon.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Capitol rioter Pamela Hemphill rejects Trump’s Jan. 6 pardon
