A man facing charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol can attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a federal judge ruled on Jan. 7.
William Pope “is authorized to travel to Washington, D.C. from January 19, 2025, through January 21, 2025, for the Presidential Inauguration,” U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras said in a one-page order.
Pope, under a 2021 order, had been barred from traveling to Washington except for court hearings, although he had previously received exceptions to view video footage from Jan. 6 that was made available by Congress for in-person viewing, and for an evidentiary tour of the U.S. Capitol.
Pope is facing charges including disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
In a recent motion for permission to attend Trump’s inauguration, Pope—who is representing himself—said he had been invited to attend the event on Jan. 20 and that he would be “entirely peaceful” if he were allowed to go.
Federal prosecutors in response said that Pope “presents a danger to the D.C. community, including the very law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and continue to serve the citizens of the District.”