As federal authorities continue their sprawling investigations of the Trump supporters who participated in the Capitol riot in January, Katherine “Katie” Staveley Schwab — one of those rioters — is now facing a new federal criminal charge. Schwab is now alleged to have “willfully and knowingly engaged in an act of physical violence” while at the Capitol, as summarized by the Dallas Observer. A lawyer for another Capitol riot co-defendant in Schwab’s case said that Schwab “is likely facing another count because the government believes she kicked a news outlet’s camera, which had fallen to the ground,” as the publication also summarized.
Schwab — whose other charges include violent entry and disorderly conduct — is a real estate agent from Colleyville, Texas, which is near Dallas. Along with two other real estate agents, Schwab took a private flight out of Texas before ending up participating in the Capitol violence on January 6. That flight included Jenna Ryan — the defendant represented by the lawyer who provided information about Schwab’s case to the Dallas Observer — who, while at the Capitol, posted on social media, showcasing her involvement. At one point, Ryan even posted an image of herself posing in front of a broken window at the Capitol.
Schwab has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges that she previously faced, and Ryan has also pleaded not guilty. So far, only two Capitol riot defendants — out of hundreds — have pleaded guilty. Those two include Jon Schaffer, who has been involved with the far-right militia group known as the Oath Keepers and agreed to provide information to federal authorities, and Paul Hodgkins, who does not have known connections to groups like the Oath Keepers but pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding. During the riot, Hodgkins carried a Trump flag onto the floor of the Senate, from which government leaders had just been evacuated for their safety.
Trump has continued to avidly spread the election lies that inspired the Capitol riot since leaving office, and Republican leaders have largely provided space for his continued delusions. Recently, reporting revealed that Trump apparently believes that he’ll be reinstated as president by August of this year — which, needless to say, is delusional yet troubling, since a former president is apparently harboring a fantasy of overthrowing the government.
