Man who blamed Trump’s ‘orders’ for Jan. 6 riot sentenced to 15 years
Michael Moore said he was “thrilled” to be given the opportunity to make his case in court.
NEW YORK (CNN) — A man who blamed “the orders” of President Donald Trump for the violent mob that sparked the violent attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday
Michael Moore was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in the violence that left one dead and two wounded in a Charlottesville protest in August.
Michael Moore, shown in a 2017 photo, was given a 15-year sentence on Wednesday for his role in the violent attack that left one dead and two wounded in Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to the Justice Department, Moore, of Chicago, was part of a group that had decided to attend the Aug. 11, 2017, “Unite the Right” rally.
Moore also said he was there to show support for Heather Heyer, the woman who was killed when white nationalist James Alex Fields rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters. Fields told investigators that he was “fearful” of people in the crowd and wanted to “kill a race of people.”
The trial, which lasted for eight days, began with the judge reading a statement accusing Moore of telling people “that he was there to protest the removal” of Confederate statues and monuments, which didn’t occur.
“He told them that it was all about Trump, that they should all go home and get out of his way,” Justice Department attorney Greg Andres said in court. “He told them, ‘I don’t care about the statue, take it down, but you can’t take down my president.’”
Andres said Moore was there “to make sure that his message got out, but you have to understand what it was like when it was right before the election. It was just before the election that he decided to go and participate in the violence.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Davis said during the trial, “It was a very violent, intimidating, anti-Semitic event in Charlottesville.”
In his opening statement, Moore said he was “thrilled to be given the