Prosecutors are seeking 70 months, or nearly six years, in prison for convicted Capitol rioter Matthew Bledsoe, a Tennessee man who climbed a wall outside the Capitol before entering the building and lingering inside for the better part of 30 minutes.
Bledsoe was convicted at a jury trial in July of charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony. Bledsoe argued at trial that he didn’t actually know Congress was conducting the certification of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election when he participated in the storming of the building, even though he filmed himself asking for the location of “those pieces of shit.” In arguing for a much shorter sentence of a little over a year, Bledsoe’s defense once again brought up the argument that those comments from the defendant don’t necessarily mean much, although it’s obviously difficult to imagine given the circumstances of the day that he had someone in mind other than members of Congress, who it was well-established would be certifying the election outcome. If he was just generally referring to whoever perpetrated the imaginary fraud he thought affected the election, why would they have been in D.C., unless they were government officials — presumably in Congress?
It all leads back to guilt on Bledsoe’s part. The point of squabbling over his comments would be undercutting the idea he possessed the intent required for a charge of obstruction of an official proceeding. At trial, Bledsoe also — remarkably — tried to characterize climbing a wall outside the Capitol as relatively normal for him, in terms of what he would do in the area where he lived. He said where he resided was “quite a bit different” than D.C., adding he often climbed walls. That has got to be among the most laughable defenses to emerge from any of the trials connected to the Capitol riot thus far. Tennesseans know how to use doors just fine, Matthew. “The fact that Mr. Bledsoe allowed himself to get caught up in those events and participated in them admittedly warrants punishment,” his defense said. “Allowed himself to” — what? Is the idea with all the defense lawyers using this language that their clients are incapable of making their own decisions? Outside of the courtroom, that’s just objectively ridiculous.
Bledsoe will be sentenced October 21. New arrests in Capitol riot cases are continuing, as are additional trial proceedings, including a trial against members of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers on charges including seditious conspiracy. Someone with a history of involvement in fellow extremist group the Proud Boys recently pleaded guilty to the offense, and three defendants with ties to the Oath Keepers already also did so.
NEW: Prosecutors to seek 70-months prison in Capitol riot case of Matthew Bledsoe of TN, convicted on multiple counts including felony. Feds say Bledsoe yelled upon entering Capitol "We in this bitch .. This is our house! We pay for this shit! Where’s those pieces of sh** at?" pic.twitter.com/76j9QiYP2L
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 8, 2022
