Trump State Department Appointee Receives 70-Month Prison Sentence for Assaulting Capitol Police Officers
Former Trump appointee sentenced to 70 months in prison for assaulting police officers during US Capitol attack on January 6th
On January 6, 2021, Federico Klein, a former appointee of Donald Trump, was handed a prison sentence of 70 months for his active participation in acts of violence. Klein, who previously held a position in the State Department, was convicted after undergoing a bench trial conducted by Judge Trevor McFadden earlier this year. His charges included assaulting a number of police officers during the events of that day.
McFadden, who, like Klein, was appointed by Trump, expressed shock and outrage at the actions taken on January 6th during the sentencing hearing on Friday. The judge stated that Klein had physically attacked an officer in the midst of the initial breach on the Capitol premises, brazenly proclaiming, "You are powerless to halt us."
Additionally, McFadden documented numerous other attacks by Klein on officers, most of which took place in the lower west terrace tunnel, which was one of the most violent areas during that day.
McFadden emphasized the importance of a government that upholds the law rather than being governed by personal interests. He accused Klein of betraying the responsibilities associated with his position.
During the sentencing on Friday, Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, a former US Capitol Police officer, expressed disbelief that Klein, who had also taken an oath to protect the Constitution, had launched multiple attacks on him using a police riot shield.
Klein, a former US Marine and State Department employee with security clearance, was mentioned by prosecutors as having potential motives for attacking the Capitol in order to maintain Trump's presidency and protect his own position as a political appointee. During the investigation, images were discovered showing Klein using a police riot shield to create an entrance for rioters and engaging in physical altercations with law enforcement. He was identified as wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat initially and later changing into a "United States Marine Corps" hat.
In court, Stanley Woodward, Kleins attorney, emphasized that Klein did not have any intentions of attacking the Capitol on that particular day. He further stressed that the events of January 6 were not solely caused by a single individual. Woodward, who also represents Walt Nauta, Trump's co-defendant in the classified documents case in Florida, mentioned Klein's involvement in Trump's 2016 campaign.
Kleins actions on January 6, Woodward said, were "not a betrayal" of his service in the military and the State Department, but was part of attending "a protest turned wrong."
