A January 6 defendant in N.H. hopes pardon means ‘investigations and compensation’ – The Boston Globe

With the flick of a pen, President Donald J. Trump changed that by pardoning Niemela and about 1,500 other people arrested, convicted or awaiting trial for their actions during the insurrection.

“It’s been a long four years,” Niemela told the Globe in an interview Monday evening, adding that she wasn’t sure yet what her pardon entailed.

“I do believe it should be a pardon of innocence,” Niemela said, “and there should be investigations and compensation for my prison sentence and for defamation of character and slander.”

According to the White House, Trump granted “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

Niemela and her girlfriend were among hordes of people who entered the US Capitol, and multiple witnesses came forward and identified her from video on social media and TV.

Court records supporting her arrest also said that a witness told FBI agents that Niemela showed a video of herself breaking a window and that she claimed to be part of the Proud Boys.

Niemela told the Globe Monday that those claims were lies. “I’m not a Proud Boy. I’m a gay conservative woman,” she said. “And, I did not break a window.”

Niemela said that the publicity about being at the Capitol cost her. “I lost friends and family, and I haven’t been able to find a job,” said Niemela, who’d worked construction remodeling homes.

“January 6 was lies by the mainstream media,” she added.

Niemela complained that she didn’t get a fair trial and the judge was harsh on her, telling her she was “out of touch with reality.”

Niemela was sentenced in 2023 to 11 months in prison. She served eight months and was released on probation in April 2024.

Niemela said that her federal probation officer allowed her to travel to North Carolina to deliver necessities to hurricane victims.

Her request to attend Trump’s inauguration, however, was denied.

Aside from the pardon, Niemela wants the criminal charge expunged from her record, and “erased from the system.” Because even with the pardon, people can still search for her name on the internet, she said, and she wants to be able to get a job again.

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.