Staff Reports
Brandon Straka, a well-known conservative figure and the founder of the Walkaway campaign, has recently shed light on the massive financial burden he and others faced following the events of January 6. Straka, who was pardoned by President Trump, has shared that he spent around $350,000 dealing with criminal charges, civil lawsuits, and even subpoenas from the January 6th Committee. Talk about a hefty price tag for standing up for one’s beliefs!
The lawyerly battles that Straka waged were no walk in the park. One particularly memorable legal skirmish involved a nonprofit firm known as the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. This group appears to specialize in what some folks refer to as “lawfare” against conservatives. They sued Straka and a bunch of other high-profile figures, claiming that they had somehow violated the Ku Klux Klan Act by allegedly targeting Black Capitol Police officers on that fateful day. Ironically, none of the officers involved were even in Straka’s vicinity during the chaos. Straka successfully fought off the civil suit, but not without spending a small fortune—over $200,000—on legal fees.
An interesting twist in Straka’s saga came from another individual who, like Straka, was fined after being pardoned. This person is now seeking restitution for their $2,200 fine, implying that if one was pardoned, why should they still have to foot the bill? Straka echoed this sentiment, stating that anyone involved in the January 6 events should be compensated for their trials and tribulations. Given the bank-breaking costs he incurred, one could say he’s more than ready to stand up for the rights and wrongs done to him and his fellow defendants.
Straka, who adamantly claims he did not engage in violence or vandalism on January 6—he was merely filming outside the Capitol for eight minutes—details a rather bizarre series of events that led to his arrest. The FBI raided his home, charged him with felonies, and even pushed for a plea deal. Ultimately, it was a judge who didn’t seem to play fair that handed down a hefty fine, even though there was no evidence of wrongdoing on Straka’s part. Being financially slapped with a maximum fine of over $5,000 was not just a harsh lesson learned, but it left him with a stinging sense of injustice.
Now, Straka is looking for more than just a refund of the fine. He believes that to truly right the wrongs of these legal battles, a recounting of what happened to January 6 defendants is overdue. He thinks accountability should extend not only to the law enforcement and legal entities involved but also to the “perpetrators of the hoax” that led to the trials and tribulations of many innocent Americans. As he puts it, if the pardons granted to individuals are real, then they should still have to answer for their actions during the congressional inquiries.
In a separate but equally significant vein, the discussion swirled around the tragic case of Ashli Babbitt, the only person killed during the January 6 events. Straka pointed out that Babbitt did not receive adequate warnings before being shot, raising serious questions about the rules governing the use of force. While some might criticize her presence at the Capitol, Straka firmly stands against the idea that anyone should be shot without taking proper precautions first. It seems that the aftermath of January 6 is far from over, and as the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same—especially when it comes to the complex tapestry of law and politics in America.
