Trump considers pardons for Capitol attack

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Four years after rioters stormed the Capitol, hoping to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election in 2020, the Department of Justice said prosecutors have charged 1,583 people with crimes related to the attack. 

About 1,100 people have already been sentenced, the Department of Justice said. The longest sentence went to the leader of the Proud Boys. Henry "Enrique" Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison. 

"It was one of the most shameful, reprehensible episodes in the history of this great nation," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Lawlessness and mob violence sought to bring democracy to its knees." 

Attorney General Merrick Garland said investigators have analyzed "massive amounts" of data to arrest hundreds of people. 

"It was an unprecedented attack on a cornerstone of our system of government, the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next," Garland wrote. "Police officers were brutally assaulted while bravely defending the United States Capitol. They were punched, tackled, tased, and attacked with chemical agents..." 

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon some of the people charged with crimes from Jan. 6, as soon as his first day in office. 

"A lot of us feel that the penalties and the sentencing was much beyond what would happen for someone breaking and entering," said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa.). 

"I support pardons for those that committed nothing, but were motivated to come and express their point of view to Congress," said Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). "Those that assaulted police officers, that's a different story." 

Congress met Monday to certify the election results for President-elect Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security and Capitol Police increased security to the same level as a presidential inauguration. 

The Capitol was surrounded by black fences. Police from Baltimore and New York assisted the Capitol police.