A pardoned J6 rioter has been charged with sex crimes against two children. Andrew Paul Johnson was arraigned in October on multiple charges, including molesting a child as young as 11 years old. And of course he’s joining the growing list of U.S. Capitol rioters who were seemingly emboldened by their very special Trump pardon! Via The Intercept:
Johnson dangled the prospect that one of the children could receive money because, Johnson claimed, he was entitled to $10 million as part of reparations for his January 6 arrest, according to a police report from a Hernando County Sheriff’s Department detective.
Those convicted and later pardoned for involvement in the January 6 riot have not been rewarded any reparations, though Trump and January 6 rioters have floated the idea of a compensation fund.
Johnson said he would put the victim in his will to receive any of the money left after his death. Police believed this was done to keep the child from “exposing what Andrew had done,” according to the arrest report, which was filed in court.
Johnson faces two criminal cases in county court, one for each child. In one case, he has been charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12. In the other case, he faces a charge of lewd or lascivious behavior to a child under the age of 16, transmitting harmful information to minors, and exhibition with a victim under the age of 16.
Johnson has pleaded not guilty and his trials are set to start early next year. (Johnson’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.)
Imagine if this guy had been pardoned by Joe Biden — or let loose by a Democratic DA. GOP PACs would run ads relentlessly.