Second activist who attempted to vandalize US Constitution sentenced to 24 months in prison

The second climate change activist who vandalized the encasement of the United States Constitution in February was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday, and two years of supervised release.

The activists, Jackson Green and Donald Zepeda, both pleaded guilty to destruction of government property, after they dumped red powdered paint on the case. The actual document itself was not damaged, but the National Archives rotunda was closed for a couple days while maintenance cleaned the area.

Green was sentenced earlier this week to 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Zepeda is receiving a longer sentence, and will be required to pay $50,000 in restitution for the cleanup of the vandalism along with Green.

The two activists claimed at the time that "all people" deserved "clean air, water, food and a livable climate," and that all people were endowed with "the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," not only "wealthy white men."

"Enshrined in the Rotunda at the heart of the building are the original founding charters of the United States of America – the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights," U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan said Tuesday. "These documents are the physical embodiment of our nation’s core principles and symbolize what it means to be an American."

"So when Donald Zepeda and Jackson Green conspired together on Valentine’s Day to defile the encasement of the Constitution, they were not just vandalizing a material object," she continued. "Rather, they intentionally and willfully assaulted our shared past and the beliefs which unite us as Americans."

Shogan said she was in the building at the time of the vandalism, and claimed the day reminded her of past anthrax and ricin attacks across the Capitol, because they did not know what the red powder was until it was tested. 

"The attack was an emotional buzzsaw for the staff of the National Archives and many across the country. It was like a member of our family had been attacked. People were not only scared, but also horrified and angry," she added.

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