Making good on a campaign promise, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump on Monday issued clemency to all defendants federally charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol he incited.

Eleven Connecticut residents had been charged in connection with the Justice Department’s investigation into Jan. 6. Two other defendants, Victoria Bergeson and Maurcio Mendez, both of Groton, were arrested on the day of the riot and charged with violation of the D.C. Code for unlawful entry to the Capitol grounds. They were each sentenced to 180 days of confinement and two years of probation.

Connecticut Public reached out to each defendant charged via the DOJ investigation or their legal counsel for comment on the pardons. All either declined or did not return calls or emails, except for Heather Shaner, who represented Carla Krzywicki. Krzywicki was part of a mother-daughter duo from Canterbury. Investigators say they climbed a bike rack to enter the Capitol.

“I am happy for my clients, if it makes their lives easier,” Shaner said. “I am terrified for the future of democracy.”

Shaner said Krzywicki benefited from probation because it provided her access to mental health treatment. She also said her client was extremely remorseful and had educated herself since the Capitol attack.

Shaner called the pardons “cynical horse [expletive].”

“I think it’s a big middle finger to America,” Shaner said. “It just validates the original Big Lie that the election was stolen. It’s just, ‘I’m a big boy. I can do anything the [expletive] I want. Ha ha, now I’m president.’”

Shaner’s attitude about the pardon stood in contrast to New Haven-based attorney Norm Pattis, who on Monday celebrated the broad pardon.

Meet the CT residents investigated by the DOJ after January 6, 2021

Patrick Edward McCaughey III, Ridgefield

McCaughey was charged with and convicted of seven felonies and two misdemeanors. Prosecutors presented evidence that McCaughey participated in the “savage beating” of a police officer at the Capitol. He was alleged to have participated in using a riot shield to pin a police officer in Capitol doors, as seen in dramatic footage. He had been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. CT Post reported Tuesday that his mother said he was currently en route to Connecticut after being released from prison in Ohio.

Richard Markey, Wolcott

Markey pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding police using a dangerous weapon. He had been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Jean Lavin and daughter Carla Krzywicki, Canterbury

Lavin and Krzywicki had each received 36 months of probation after pleading guilty to charges that they breached the Capitol during the insurrection. Krzywicki had also been sentenced to three months of home detention, and Lavin had been sentenced to two months of home detention.

Brothers Thomas and Michael Kenny, Greenwich

Each pleaded guilty to charges of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. They were due to be sentenced Jan. 28, 2025.

Gino DiGiovanni Jr., Derby

Former Derby Alderman DiGiovanni pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 10 days in prison and 12 months of supervised release.

Richard T. Crosby Jr., Harwinton 

Crosby breached the Senate chamber and stood on the dais alongside the so-called “QAnon Shaman.” He pleaded guilty to four charges. He was due to be sentenced in February.

Benjamin Cohen, Westport 

Cohen pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Prosecutors said he took part in the pushing of a line of police officers. His case was dismissed on Tuesday before sentencing.

James Roe Cleary, Waterford 

Cleary was charged with multiple counts, including engaging in physical violence in a restricted building. He pleaded not guilty and his case had been continued to March 2025.

Jeremy Baouche, New London

Baouche, an Electric Boat employee, pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. He had been sentenced to 30 days in prison and two years of probation.

Federal delegation reacts

Some members of Connecticut’s all-Democratic federal delegation were quick to respond to the pardons.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the pardons a “massive celebration of political violence.”

“I just don’t think that we can over hype how dangerous it is that today… he is pardoning, he is expunging the prosecutions of the people who tried to tear down our Capitol, who tried to install into power the loser of the 2020 election,” Murphy said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called Trump’s decision “sickening.”

“The mass pardons for people who committed a violent insurrection, not only injuring but in some cases causing the deaths of police officers, is absolutely abhorrent,” Blumenthal told reporters. “These January 6 rioters were lawfully convicted by a jury of peers, everyday Americans, and it is a discredit to our criminal justice system for the president of the United States to issue pardons to people who sought to prevent a peaceful transition of power.”

Rep. Jim Himes, who was at the building during the Capitol breach that day, posted on social media that the pardons were “a grotesque abuse of authority and a betrayal of our democracy.”

Connecticut Republican Party Chairman Ben Proto said Tuesday the party would only provide a statement on Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons “when there is a statement from [the Connecticut Democratic Party] on Biden pardons and clemency.”

One person who was trapped in a burning apartment building in Naugatuck on Tuesday morning suffered burns and was taken to the hospital, according to the fire department.

Firefighters responded to Oak Terrace on Conrad Street around 2:40 a.m.

A police officer who arrived first reported that smoke was coming from an apartment and a person could not get out, according to the fire department.

Naugatuck firefighters removed the resident, who was transported to Waterbury Hospital, and put out the fire. 

No other residents were displaced.

The Naugatuck fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire. 

When I was growing up in upstate New York, I often heard about the challenges people faced with rising energy costs. Families would cut back on other essentials just to keep the lights on. Now, as a student in Connecticut studying architecture, urban planning, and sustainable practices, I can see some of the same struggles here—especially in low-income communities where energy burdens are among the highest in the nation. For residents in cities like Bridgeport or Hartford, the rising cost of electricity isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a barrier to a better quality of life.

Connecticut has made meaningful steps toward addressing this issue through its Green Bank, a national pioneer in clean energy innovation. Programs like Solar for All and the Connecticut Solar Lease have helped reduce energy burdens for low-income households, saving participants hundreds of dollars annually. These programs have brought renewable energy within reach for many who might otherwise be left out of the transition to a greener future. But the reality is, Connecticut still has a long way to go. 

According to the Green Bank’s data, approximately 450,000 housing units in Connecticut’s low-income census tracts face barriers to clean energy access. Renters, who make up a significant portion of these households, often have no control over their energy options because landlords lack incentives to invest in renewable energy solutions. Even for homeowners, upfront costs and credit requirements can make programs like solar panels seem out of reach. These gaps leave too many residents reliant on expensive, polluting energy sources—missing out on the cost savings and environmental benefits that clean energy can provide.

This is where Connecticut risks falling behind. States like New York have taken a more aggressive approach to scaling up their green energy programs, which could offer valuable lessons for Connecticut to follow. Guided by its 2019 Climate Act, New York mandates that at least 35% of its Green Bank’s investments benefit disadvantaged communities. Programs like the Community Decarbonization Fund empower local lenders to expand clean energy financing in underserved areas, while pre-development and bridge loans help renewable energy projects overcome financial hurdles. By prioritizing renters and multifamily housing through tiered incentives for developers, New York ensures that clean energy benefits flow to low-income and frontline communities.

Connecticut could replicate these strategies to address its own challenges. Community solar remains a particularly underutilized opportunity. The state’s Shared Clean Energy Facility (SCEF) (SCEF) program, which had only one active project in Bloomfield until recently, has struggled to grow. Recent legislative action has increased the program’s capacity to 25 megawatts per year, and new Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) incentives show promise. To clarify, a megawatt (MW) is a unit of power equivalent to one million watts, or the amount of energy needed to power approximately 200 homes for a year. 

By comparison, New York’s NYSERDA-driven NY-Sun program has installed over 2,000 megawatts of community solar, enough to power approximately 400,000 homes. This success stems from policies like virtual net metering and targeted funding for disadvantaged communities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), virtual net metering allows customers who don’t have solar panels on their own property—such as renters or those living in apartments—to benefit from solar energy produced elsewhere. Credits for the energy generated by a community solar project are applied directly to participants’ utility bills, lowering costs and making renewable energy accessible to more people.

To unlock the full potential of community solar and ensure its benefits reach all residents, Connecticut must address key limitations by more efficient approvals and expanding funding. Practical solutions are essential to bring this vision to life. These include expanding virtual net metering policies, accelerating project approvals, and increasing capacity specifically for low-income households. Collaborating with municipal governments to enhance outreach efforts can also help ensure that the state’s most vulnerable populations gain access to renewable energy. For example, the Solar for All program’s upcoming incentives for landlords to install solar in low-income housing represent a promising step forward. To build on such initiatives, Connecticut’s General Assembly should introduce legislation to expand Green Bank funding, advancing the goal of directing 40% of investments to disadvantaged communities.

The time to act is now. Federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents a rare opportunity to amplify Connecticut’s efforts, but the clock is ticking. Programs like the Solar for All competition and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund could transform Connecticut’s clean energy landscape, but these resources won’t last forever. Adding to the urgency is the threat of political shifts that could derail federal climate initiatives in the near future. By moving quickly to integrate IRA funds and adopt scalable solutions inspired by New York, Connecticut can secure its place as a leader in equitable clean energy.

But this isn’t just about politics or policy; it’s about people. In cities like Hartford, where families spend an outsized share of their income on energy bills, every dollar saved through clean energy programs matters. It means more money for groceries, healthcare, or education. It means a healthier living environment and a future where no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.

Connecticut’s Green Bank has laid a solid foundation, but it must now scale its efforts to meet the needs of all its residents. Expanding programs like Solar for All, introducing bridge loans to address upfront costs, and prioritizing outreach to underserved communities are essential next steps. Organizations like Operation Fuel and the The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs (CRCJ) are already working to address energy affordability and equity. For example, Operation Fuel has provided direct assistance to thousands of families struggling to pay their energy bills, highlighting the immediate impact of such initiatives. Leveraging their networks and expertise, along with programs like Project SunBridge that incentivize landlords to install solar in multifamily properties, can amplify these efforts and create long-lasting benefits for low-income communities.

As a student who has studied these issues both in New York and Connecticut, I believe this moment is critical. Connecticut has the tools, the knowledge, and the resources to lead. The question is: will it seize this opportunity to act decisively? The stakes are high, but the rewards—lower energy costs, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future—are worth it. Let’s not wait until it’s too late.

Maya Bruno is a senior at Connecticut College studying architectural studies and urban planning, with a focus on sustainable cities and energy equity.