CHICAGO (WLS) — Historically, the date presidential elections are certified are mundane. That is, until four years ago, when it meant certifying a loss that the 45th president falsely claims did not happen.

It is an image now burned into American history: Thousands of armed, flag-wielding Donald Trump supporters swarming and scaling the scaffolding of the United States Capitol, beckoned there by the then-president.

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As the mob shattered the windows and stormed the halls of Congress, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider hid with colleagues on the gallery floor, readying a gas mask.

Four years to the day, Congress passed through steel security gates and returned to session Monday to again execute that exact same process. This time, it was to certify President-elect Trump’s return to the White House.

“We always need to remember this day for the fragility of our democracy,” Rep. Schneider, D-Illinois, told the I-Team.

In the largest investigation in Department of Justice history, nearly 1600 Americans have been convicted of crimes connected to the Capitol insurrection. More than 600 have faced charges for assault or interfering with law enforcement; 53 of those charged traveled to the Capitol from Illinois.

Trump himself faced federal charges for conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.

With his 2024 reelection now certified by the candidate he defeated and the federal charges brought against the former president dropped, Trump has promised sweeping pardons for the convicted insurrectionists he has repeatedly referred to as patriots.

Gil Soffer, a former federal prosecutor and ABC7’s chief legal analyst, explained what that could mean.

“The pardons, they don’t expunge the record. They don’t make it as if people who have already been convicted were never convicted, but it restores their civil liberties. As to the vast number of people who could still be charged if he, if he offers a walk, a broad pardon, they can never be charged,” Soffer told the I-Team.

There are dozens of Illinois defendants, convicted of January 6-related crimes, hoping for pardons. Some who have not been charged yet are hoping the DOJ will drop their case altogether.

The shots were clanking, the lead was dwindling and very little seemed to be going Illinois’ way as the minutes ticked off the clock in its matchup with Washington on Sunday in Seattle. Then, somehow, circumstances took a turn for the worse.

Clinging to a 75-73 lead with just over a minute left in the game, the Illini hit the floor out of a 30-second timeout with a plan to control the damage of a squandered 17-point lead. Trouble was, they couldn’t get past the plan’s first step: safely inbound the ball.

When Illinois swingman Tre White – positioned in the high sideline corner with the ball – zigged, guard Kasparas Jakucionis – his intended target – zagged. The result was a bad pass into the backcourt and a footrace to the ball that Jakucionis was never going to win against Washington’s Luis Kortright, who snatched the loose ball, converted the layup and tied the game.

“It’s really ridiculous,” Underwood said of the mistake in his postgame press conference. “The inbounds plays, they’re in a zone, just go into the backcourt and get the basketball. And we set the stack and – jeez, oh Pete, I mean, we’ve gotta talk about every scenario.”

The upshot: The Illini hit their free throws – two each from Jakucionis and guard Kylan Boswell – and made the stops they needed down the stretch, preventing Huskies guard DJ Davis (31 points and seven threes off the bench) from playing the hero one more time.

“That’s resilience after that,” Underwood said, referring back to the turnover. “We got a stop, we got a loose ball and then made some toughness plays that we we have to make if you’re going to win close games like this. But we can’t make that out-of-bounds play … that’s just, that’s just a bonehead play.”

In their defense, the Illini (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) have been guilty of very few of them in critical moments this season. Still, Underwood isn’t letting it slide.

“We did exactly what we had to do down the stretch today, other than the side out-of-bounds play, which is, well …” Underwood said. “I promise we’ll get that rectified.”

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