This case highlights the limits of presidential pardons and how the Justice Department is interpreting Trump’s sweeping Jan. 6 pardons.
While Kelley was pardoned for his actions at the Capitol, his separate conviction for plotting to kill law enforcement officials falls outside the scope of Trump’s order.
Prosecutors are making it clear that crimes committed long after Jan. 6, even if motivated by the investigation into the riot, are not covered.
It’ll be interesting to see if this ruling sets a precedent for similar cases where Jan. 6 defendants committed additional crimes later.