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A January 6 defendant who refused to accept a pardon from President Donald Trump has received a letter of gratitude from former Vice President Mike Pence, who called her decision to accept responsibility “honorable.”
Pamela Hemphill, a 72-year-old self-described “Ex-MAGA granny,” spent two months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing at the Capitol in 2022. Hemphill, who has changed her position on Trump since her conviction, made headlines in January when she refused to accept the president’s sweeping pardon for defendants.
But on Tuesday, Hemphill said “every heartache, smear campaign, and sleepless night” was worth it after receiving the letter of admiration from Pence.
“I am writing to express my admiration for your decision to refuse a presidential pardon and accept responsibility for your actions on January 6th,” Pence wrote to Hemphill.
“Your honorable decision speaks volumes about your commitment to the Rule of Law and I wanted to pass along my genuine respect. I am certain that your willingness to accept responsibility has inspired many Americans by your example of integrity and faith,” the former president wrote.
Pence has publicly condemned the events of January 6, having experienced real threats when the angry mob of Trump supporters chanted “hang Mike Pence.”
At the time, Trump espoused lies about the 2020 presidential election being stolen, and misrepresented Pence’s role in confirming election results – essentially pushing blame onto him despite Pence having no formal power to reverse the results.
Since then, Pence has denounced Trump for downplaying the severity of the day and then pardoning more than 1,500 defendants when he returned to office.
In his letter to Hemphill, Pence reiterated, “I will always believe that I did my duty that day to see to the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States.”
Hemphill, who is now an outspoken Trump opponent, refused to accept the president’s pardon, saying she did not want to be part of “Trump’s narrative that the DOJ is weaponized.”
“I’m not a victim. I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, period. I mean, I was trespassing. I had a choice – I could have left,” Hemphill told The Daily Beast in 2023.
A spokesperson for Pence confirmed the authenticity of the letter to The Hill.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for Pence for comment.
