Chicago activist speaks out after pardon from Trump: 'Full vindication'

President Donald Trump has followed through on his promise to pardon individuals charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, granting clemency to about 1,500 defendants.

Trump also instructed the Attorney General to dismiss hundreds of pending cases.

What we know:

Among those impacted was Chicago activist Lawrence Ligas, founder of the Logan Square Concerned Citizens group.

Ligas was photographed by security cameras at the Capitol and used his cellphone to record during the insurrection. He was charged with four misdemeanors, later upgraded to felony obstruction after he refused to plead guilty.

Ligas maintains he attended the January 6 events to support Trump and to ask questions about the "Stop the Steal" movement. He denies any wrongdoing and emphasized that his charges were not pardoned but dismissed with prejudice.

"I did not receive a pardon. I received full vindication. I received full dismissal of all my charges. All my charges were dismissed with prejudice," Ligas said.

Democrats have expressed strong opposition to the pardons, including Pennsylvania Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

"President Trump put the presidential seal of approval on political violence so long as it supports him and even if it's directed against law enforcement," she said.

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