On the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, convicted rioter Derrick Evans announces he will run for Congress.
Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia legislator and convicted felon who livestreamed himself screaming “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” during the Jan. 6 riots said Friday he was running for Congress.
His announcement, on the second anniversary of the violent storming of the Capitol, was calculated, he said.
“I chose today to announce my bid for the House of Representatives because it is an important anniversary in U.S. history," Evans said in a statement. "While my name will indelibly be part of it, we should also use as a chance to remind ourselves about why democracy is so important and how easily it can be threatened."
Evans plans to run as a Republican in West Virginia's First Congressional District, he said.
The anniversary was also marked by a statement from U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland that his Justice Department's campaign to bring marauding rioters to justice remains "far from over."
"We remain committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the Jan. 6 assault on our democracy," Garland said in a statement. "And we remain committed to doing everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again."
His words came just days after the House committee established to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 riots ended its historic examination by releasing an 800-plus-page report and thousands of exhibits from the deadly insurrection.
Evans, who pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder for his role in overrunning the Capitol, served three months in a federal prison in Michigan last year. He was released in October.
In the past two years, more than 900 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, with more than half pleading guilty in plea agreements, according to federal prosecutors. The siege resulted in several deaths, and at least four Capitol police officers took their own lives after the violence.
But the significance of Friday's anniversary was overshadowed by ongoing chaos in the House of Representatives, where members entered their fourth day of trying to elect a Speaker in the deeply divided chamber.
Since Tuesday, the House has voted more than 10 times, and failed at every turn, to choose a leader. Heir apparent Kevin McCarthy of California needs 218 votes to win. But 20 rebel, right-wing Republicans have defected and are currently holding the House hostage.
Without a Speaker, the House cannot conduct business.
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