Covington man responds to pardon for Jan. 6 involvement

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - President Donald Trump is pardoning more than 1,500 people across the country who are charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. About a dozen of them live in our hometowns.

Joshua Haynes of Covington was among the group that entered the Capitol building as what started as a protest that turned into a riot.

“I went into the Capitol, through an open door, again, I walked around a little bit. I took some videos, pictures, sent some text messages, and I exited the Capitol,” Haynes said. “On the outside, admittedly I was part of a group that was involved in destroying some media equipment.”

Federal prosecutors say Haynes texted a contact following the insurrection, saying he “broke lotsa stuff.” He then sent an image with the message, “We attacked the CNN reporters and the fake news and destroyed tens of thousands of dollars of their video and television equipment.” He also texted the same person, “I want to get busted for tearing up the nations capital and the fake news.”

Ultimately, Haynes did get busted.

“Several months later, six months later or so, the FBI called my house, or called my cell phone, and wanted to come and interview me. I said, I told them, ‘Yes, that would be fine,’” Haynes said.

Haynes pleaded guilty to felony charges and was sentenced to 32 months in prison. He has since been ordered to pay for damage to media gear outside the Capitol.

But everything changed this week. On his first day in office, President Trump announced pardons for everyone who participated on January 6.

“He, two days ago, filed a motion to vacate all the conditions of my release,” Haynes said. “So, I assume in the very near future, that will be the case.”

Trump’s order states it will end a “grave national injustice.” For Haynes, the announcement wasn’t surprising.

“Many times, while he was running for President, he said he was going to do this,” Haynes said. “So, when he was elected by the American people, that was to me them saying, “we know you’re going to do this, we are voting for that.”

Haynes called the pardon a blessing, but he doesn’t try to hide what he did that day.

“I think it is time we put this chapter of American history behind us and move forward,” Haynes said.

When WDBJ7 asked him, he didn’t rule out repeating the actions that landed him a nearly-3-year prison sentence.

“I’m simply going to say that I hope that no one ever has to do anything like that again,” Haynes said. “Would I personally? I don’t know; I can’t answer that.”

Haynes said he spent two and a half years incarcerated. He spent time at a county and regional jail as well as a prison in northern West Virginia.