Judge rejects J6 defendant's request to attend Trump inauguration at invitation of Utah delegates

A federal judge on Friday rejected a January 6 felony defendant's request to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the invitation of Utah's Congressional delegates. 

The denial comes after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan approved a request to attend from a different January 6 defendant, who was convicted of a misdemeanor. But U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly rejected the request of another January 6 felony defendant on Thursday. Several other requests are still pending, according to Politico.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth denied Russell Taylor's request in a five-page ruling, and said Taylor's "unusually grave" actions during the riot meant he did not deserve the "immense privilege” of attending an inauguration.

“It would not be appropriate for the Court to grant permission to attend such a hallowed event to someone who carried weapons and threatened police officers in an attempt to thwart the last Inauguration, and who openly glorified ‘[i]nsurrection’ against the United States,” Lamberth wrote. 

Taylor, who pleaded guilty to his crimes and cooperated with prosecutors in another case, was sentenced to three years of probation and praised as a model defendant, per the outlet. Under the rules of his probation, Taylor needed special permission to travel to Washington, D.C.

“Mr. Taylor’s motion presents only the narrow question of whether a person who conspired and acted to thwart the peaceful transfer of power four years ago with incitement, threats, and weapons should now be granted special permission to attend the celebration of the peaceful transfer of power,” Lamberth wrote. “The answer to that question is ‘no.’”

Taylor was invited to the inauguration by former Utah Rep. Chris Stewart and three current Utah representatives. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.