PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — In a dramatic move less than 24 hours into his presidency, Donald Trump issued pardons and commutations to more than 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol attack. Among those impacted was David Moerschel, 37, a self-described former member of the Oath Keepers militia group from Port Charlotte, Florida, who had his sentence commuted late Monday evening.
Watch senior reporter Emily Young's full report here:
Moerschel, a former neurophysiologist and trained medic, served 9 months of a three-year sentence in federal prison in Georgia, before moving to a halfway house to complete his sentence. His release Monday was the first time he was without government supervision since his arrest in Ft. Myers in July of 2021. His defense attorney, Scott Weinberg, shared the moment they realized the implications of Trump’s order.
“Once we saw Trump on TV signing that order, we knew it was pretty much over,” Weinberg said.
He described his client’s reaction as “ecstatic” and added that many January 6th defendants share similar sentiments.
“You can’t describe how happy all the January defendants are. It’s just over,” he said.
According to Weinberg, Moerschel’s actions on January 6th were misunderstood. He claimed Moerschel entered the Capitol to provide medical assistance after hearing about an injury.
“He was told that there was an injury inside the Capitol, which is why the Oath Keepers, in that very famous photo, are walking in what they call a stack formation,” Weinberg explained. “It was really just a line so they wouldn’t lose each other in the crowd. Once inside, David realized no one was injured. He looked around for 12 minutes and then left.”
Moerschel is one of 14 criminal defendants to receive a commutation, which reduces the punishment for a crime. The conviction, however, remains on the record.
1,500 defendants received a full presidential pardon, which removes any civil disobediences imposed be a felony conviction.
It’s this distinction that has curtailed Moerschel’s plans to move on with his life.
“Unfortunately, this hinders his career because he depends on a license, and with a felony, you can’t have certain professional licenses,” Weinberg explained. “That’s why we’re going to keep pushing for a pardon.”
The future remains uncertain. While Trump’s mass pardons and commutations have provided relief to hundreds, questions linger about whether commutations will eventually lead to full pardons. For now, legal battles and advocacy efforts are expected to continue for those seeking a clean slate.
