January 6, 2021, was set to be a long day for congressional representatives and senators alike. Congress met to certify the results of the highly contested 2020 election in which now President Joe Biden was to be officially named the victor.
However, in the weeks leading to Congress’s meeting, former President Donal Trump and his allies went on a mission to try to discredit the election results. Trump made claims the election was stolen, and as a result of the rhetoric he used, thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol building as the House and the Senate met to solidify election results.
Now, three years after the Jan. 6 Insurrection, people are still being convicted for related charges, Trump has been disqualified from the primary ballot in states like Maine and Colorado and it doesn’t seem like its impact is slowing any time soon. Here are some of the key developments since the infamous attack on the Capitol — from North Carolina indictments and convictions to the findings of the Jan. 6 Committee.
The North Carolinians involved in the January 6 Riot
People from across the United States took part in the Jan. 6 riot, including some fellow North Carolinians. The Charlotte Observer created a list of North Carolina residents who have been indicted and convicted of charges related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Here’s the list their team comprised:
| Name | Town | Convicted | Sentence |
| Aiden Bilyard | Cary | Felony assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon or inflicting bodily injury | 40 months |
| Anthony Scirica | Winston-Salem | Misdemeanor violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds | 15 days of incarceration; $500 fine; $500 restitution |
| Cleveland Meredith | Hayesville | Felony interstate communication of threats | 28 months |
| Dale Shalvey | Conover | Felony assaulting, resisting, impeding officers; felony obstruction of official proceeding | 41 months |
| Easton Cantwell | Waynesville | Felony civil disorder and aiding and abetting | 5 months |
| Grayson Sherrill | Cherryville | Felony Assaulting, resisting, impeding officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon | 7 months |
| James “Les” Little | Claremont | Misdemeanor Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds | 60 days; three years probation. Under appeal |
| James Mault | Fort Bragg | Felony assaulting, resisting impeding certain officers | 44 months |
| Johnny Harris | Shelby | Misdemeanor engaging in disorderly or Disruptive conduct on the capitol buildings or grounds | 7 months |
| Laura Steele | Thomasville | Felony obstruction of official proceeding | 12 months; six months home detention; three years supervised release |
| Matthew Wood | Reidsville | Felony obstruction of an official proceeding, 5 misdemeanors | 3 years of probation, including 12 months of home detention; 100 hours of community service; $2,000 restitution |
| Stephen Baker | Garner | Misdemeanor violent entry and disorderly conduct in Capitol | 9 days; two years probation |
| Tara Stottlemyer Shalvey | Conover | Felony obstruction of official proceeding | 8 months |
| Virginia “Jenny” Spencer | Pilot Mountain | Misdemeanor violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds | 90 days; 3 years probation |
| Matthew Beddingfield | Middlesex | Assaulting a police officer | 38 months |
Additionally, some higher level politicians from North Carolina also played a role in the events of Jan.uary 6, 2021.
North Carolina native, former congressman and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was one of the 18 people indicted alongside the former president for separate charges related to attempting to try to overthrow the election results. Meadows was one of the main proprietors of the stolen election conspiracies, and he’s been accused of working with several others within the Trump administration to overturn the election results, specifically regarding the state of Georgia.
Meadows was charged for breaking Georgia’s RICO (racketeering) law, as well as solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. The indictment explains the charges, alleging Meadows and other co-conspirators knowingly lied about the election’s results, purposely spreading misinformation to the public. The indictment also claims those close to the president were working to persuade electors in Georgia to change their electoral college votes to be in Trump’s favor. Meadows wasn’t named as participating in these acts.
The January 6th Congressional Committee hearings
On July 1, 2021, the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol was established to look into the Capitol Attack. The committee met consistently for two and a half years, collecting evidence and hearing testimonies from those closest to Trump on Jan.uary 6.
There were a total of 11 public hearings, with 10 of them being televised on major news networks. The committee released its final report at the beginning of this year, which noted many key findings found over the investigation.
The committee found there was enough evidence for the Department of Justice to criminally prosecute the former president on the following charges: obstruction of an official proceeding, Conspiracy to defraud the United States, Conspiracy to knowingly make a false statement and Assisting, aiding or comforting an insurrection.
Evidence collected by the committee suggests Trump knew he had lost the election, but then continued to publicly say the election was stolen. He also, allegedly, attempted to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to not fulfill his constitutional duty by refusing to certify the results. Pence stated at the time he would follow his Constitutional duty, and ultimately, Pence did certify Biden’s election win.
Some other actions Trump has been accused of include targeting the Department of Justice, pressuring state officials, false electors, pressuring members of Congress, providing false information in court, summoning and provoking the crowd, failing to act and conspiracy.
The committee also found law enforcement and intelligence agencies had received whisperings of a plan to invade the Capitol building in the weeks leading to the Jan. 6th attacks. According to reporting from PBS, agencies were aware of plans from the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers, and information on those plans were shared with the Secret Service, the president’s National Security Council and staff in the executive branch. The report also stated law enforcement was unaware of the extent of Trump and his allies’ plans and how their speeches would have contributed to the violence on that day. It also showed Trump provided minimal to no assistance in crowd control efforts.
The repercussions of Trump’s actions
The former president was impeached for a second time following the Jan. 6th Insurrection, but that hasn’t diminished the support he has within the Republican Party. As it stands, Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican primary, polling at a whopping 61.4 percent. Multiple polls have Trump narrowly beating Joe Biden in a head-to-head general election, even as multiple Republicans continue to call for an end to the Trump era.
Trump now faces over 90 felony criminal charges related to four different cases in the District of Columbia, Georgia, New York and Florida. The cases include the Federal Election Interference Case, The Georgia Election Interference Case, The Classified Documents Case and The Hush Money Case against Stormy Daniels.
The former president is also facing legal challenges from multiple states who are working to remove him from the Republican Primary ballot under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment of the constitution. Two states — Maine and Colorado — have officially removed the former president from the ballot for the March primary. Other states are considering similar motions.