Prosecutors alleged that Powell had become obsessed with keeping Trump in power following his loss in the 2020 election [5] and had conducted surveillance at a female legislator's house. [6] [7] [8]
January 6 United States Capitol attack
Powell was a participant in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, in which she entered a restricted section of the United States Capitol carrying an ice axe and a cardboard pipe she and several others used as a battering ram. [9] During the riot, Powell wore a pink hat and used a bullhorn to instruct and encourage other rioters, causing her to become known as "Pink Hat Lady" and "Bullhorn Lady". [3] [5] [10] She also destroyed a window, [6] [7] causing more than $1,000 in damage. [1]
Powell was arrested by the FBI on February 4, 2021. [10] [11] Additionally, Powell's home in Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, was raided by the FBI, [12] [13] all of her weapons were confiscated, and she was placed under house arrest. [14] A Washington, D.C., federal judge allowed Powell to be released on bail on the condition that she wear face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19, [9] [15] [16] which she later violated by wearing a mesh mask. [17] [18] [19] After being placed on home detention, Powell quit her job at a bookstore, sold her farmhouse to cover legal fees, and moved with her four youngest children into her then-boyfriend's cabin in the outskirts of Grove City, Pennsylvania, being hired to help manage his consulting business. [2]
On April 5, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Powell on nine counts, comprising three felonies and six misdemeanors. On July 18, 2023, following a bench trial, Powell was found guilty of all charges, which included civil disorder and destruction of government property. [4] [20]
Sentencing
Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 96 months or eight years in prison, [6] [7] [8] describing Powell as a "leading participant in the most violent insurrection to occur at the U.S. Capitol in over 200 years". [1] Powell's attorney argued against jail time, pointing to her lack of a criminal record and the fact that she had not physically harmed anyone during the riot. [14]
Powell rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, which included a four-year prison sentence without the right of appeal and admitted to the charge of obstruction of justice. [10]
On October 17, 2023, Powell was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. [1] [7] She was also ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines, and fees. [10] [20] [21] [22]
The day prior to starting her sentence, Powell told CNN: "I don't have remorse for attending protests; I don't have remorse for speaking out and saying that I believe that the election is stolen. I do have remorse for breaking a window and destroying my whole family's life, and for thinking irrationally." [10]
Incarceration
Powell began serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton, on January 9, 2024, three days after the third anniversary of the Capitol riot. [5]
Powell appealed her sentence; a resentencing date was set for January 6, 2025, the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot, though was delayed due to weather. [23]
Release
On January 20, 2025, the first day of his second presidency, Trump pardoned Powell along with almost every other participant in the Capitol riot. [24] She was released from the D.C. Jail, a correctional facility in Washington, D.C., the following day. [25] Upon her release, Powell expressed regret for the violence on January 6, stating: "I feel like a fool because I walked into something unexpected. That doesn't excuse my behavior that day, but I can't go back. I can only go forward. Let's go forward as a country and heal." [26]
