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ForbesSep 03, 2023
Former Trump State Dept. Aide Gets 70 Months in Prison Over Jan. 6
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The Facts
Federico Klein, the first Trump administration employee to be arrested following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Friday after being charged with eight felony counts including the assault of law enforcement officers, obstructing an official proceeding, and related misdemeanors.
The official, who stepped down from his position in the US Dept. of State a day before Pres. Joe Biden's inauguration has additionally been ordered to pay a $3K fine, and $2K in restitution. Klein did not testify during his trial.
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Klein not only violated the Hatch Act, which limits the participation of government employees in partisan politics but also attacked several police officers with a stolen riot shield as he led the violent mob storming the Capitol. It's disturbing that someone who held a top-secret security clearance and had a clear understanding that this unrest was a coup attempt was capable of such actions.
Pro-Trump narrative
Klein was among several demonstrators who sought to defend themselves during the Jan. 6 riot while being indiscriminately attacked by police in the Capitol's Lower West Tunnel. Individuals should have been judged for their specific actions, not as a part of a publicity stunt to deter the general public.
