A Confederate flag-wielding father and son were on Wednesday found guilty of obstructing lawmakers from certifying the 2020 election through their actions during the Capitol insurrection, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Prosecutors and law enforcement witnesses allege that Kevin Seefried, 52, and Hunter Seefried, 24, were among the first 15 rioters to breach the U.S. Capitol.
- The two were accused of being part of the mob that chased Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman in the building, during which Kevin Seefried allegedly shouted, "Where are the members at? Where are they counting the votes?"
- Goodman later testified that Kevin Seefried, the first rioter he encountered as the mob broke through Senate wing doors, jabbed at him with the butt end of the Confederate flagpole as he demanded to know the Congress members' location, according to WashPost.
Driving the news: Both were convicted on the most serious charge of obstructing lawmakers, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
- "As an initial matter of wrongfulness, things like breaking into a Capitol window, threatening police and joining a mob that chases an officer through the Capitol are so self-evidently wrong that it requires little further explanation," U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden said, per WashPost.
- McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled in the bench trial after the Seefrieds waived their right to a jury.
The big picture: Nearly 40% of Jan. 6 defendants sentenced so far have received time in prison.
- Almost 800 people have been arrested for their involvement in the insurrection. 250 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Go deeper... By the numbers: Jan. 6 one year later
