Jan. 6 rioter who ran for mayor in Connecticut pleads guilty to Capitol breach charge
A Connecticut man pleaded guilty Friday to Capitol breach charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots.
Gino DiGiovanni Jr., a former city alderman who ran an unsuccessful mayoral bid in Derby, Conn., — a town outside of New Haven — made his plea by videoconference. His sentencing is set for April 15, and he faces up to six months in jail.
DiGiovanni was charged for going in and staying in the restricted area of the U.S. Capitol without authorization.
Martin Minnella, DiGiovanni’s lawyer, found the charge fair, but he hopes his client can learn from it.
“He didn’t break anything. He didn’t force his way in,” Minnella told The Associated Press. “But he did remain in there when he wasn’t authorized. This is an aberration in his life, and hopefully he can turn the page.”
DiGiovanni won the city's Republican primary by ousting incumbent Mayor Richard Dziekan. Ultimately, he lost the general election in November to Democratic candidate Joseph DiMartino.
Three years since the Jan. 6 insurrection, more than 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the breach. About two-thirds of the nearly 750 who have been sentenced served jail time. Federal prosecutors are still in a search for at least 80 suspects connected to the Capitol breach.
Minnella said Jan. 6 was a “terrible” situation, but his client was there to “exercise” his rights.
“Certainly we don’t condone the conduct of a lot of other people," he added. "It was a terrible situation that got out of control."