After putting a price tag on the damage caused to the U.S. Capitol during Jan. 6 riot at a $1.5 million so far, federal prosecutors are asking for the first time defendants to cover some of the bill, shows the letter sent to an individual charged in the riot, Fox News reports.
The letter The Washington Post reported on, was written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sedky and sent to defense attorneys of Paul Allard Hodgkins, who pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a single count of obstruction of an official proceeding and part of his plea agreement was to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Treasury Department
The letter stated that Hodgkins’ client acknowledges that the riot that occurred on January 6, 2021, caused as of May 17, 2021, approximately $1,495,326.55 damage to the United States Capitol.
With more than 450 defendants in the process, the U.S. is seeking $2,000 in felony cases and $500 in misdemeanors stemming from the unrest. Hodgkins (38) has no prior convictions and he faces 15 to 21 months in prison under the sentencing guidelines. His sentencing was set for July 19.
Previously in January, Reuters reported, quoting industry sources, that the taxpayers will have to pay for the high levels of damage that rioters caused in the U.S. Capitol because the site wasn’t covered by insurance.
Stephen Ellis, the president of the watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense, said that taxpayers will be on the hook for repairs to the Capitol after the building was left covered in litter, graffiti, and broken glass.
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