Rachel Powell
Rachel Powell | |
|---|---|
 Powell at the time of her arrest in 2021 | |
| Born | March 26, 1980 Anaheim, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Pink Hat Lady Bullhorn Lady |
| Known for | Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack |
| Criminal status | Released after serving one year (pardoned) |
| Children | 8 |
| Criminal penalty |
|
| Imprisoned at | Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton (2024) D.C. Jail (2025) |
| Website | rachelpowell |
Rachel Marie Powell (born March 26, 1980), also known as "Pink Hat Lady" and "Bullhorn Lady", is an American convicted felon known for her participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, in which she wore a pink hat and used a bullhorn to instruct and encourage other rioters.
On July 18, 2023, Powell was found guilty on nine counts, comprising three felony charges and six misdemeanors. On October 17, 2023, Powell was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. Powell began serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton, on January 9, 2024.
On January 20, 2025, the first day of the second presidency of Donald Trump, Powell was pardoned along with nearly every other participant in the Capitol riot. She was released from the D.C. Jail, a correctional facility in Washington, D.C., the following day.
Biography
[edit]Powell was born in Anaheim, California, and raised in Fresno. At the time of the Capitol attack, she was a single mother of eight and grandmother of six residing in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.[1]
In an interview with The New Yorker, which was conducted while she was being sought by law enforcement, Powell stated that she was initially critical of Donald Trump and did not vote in 2016, though voted for him in the 2020 United States presidential election. During the same interview, in summarizing her political views, Powell stated: "My views kind of fall all over the place. I guess you could say that I'm more libertarian at heart."
Powell posted misinformation about both the 2020 election and COVID-19 on Facebook;[2] in October 2020, she posted a message on the site stating that she agreed "with the possibility of civil war happening".[3]
Prosecutors alleged that Powell had become obsessed with keeping Trump in power following his loss in the 2020 election[4] and had conducted surveillance at a female legislator's house.[5][6][7]
January 6 United States Capitol attack
[edit]Powell was a participant in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, in which she entered a restricted section of the United States Capitol carrying an ice axe and a cardboard pipe she and several others used as a battering ram.[8] During the riot, Powell wore a pink hat and used a bullhorn to instruct and encourage other rioters, causing her to become known as "Pink Hat Lady" and "Bullhorn Lady".[2][4][9] She also destroyed a window,[5][6] causing more than $1,000 in damage.[1]
Powell was arrested by the FBI on February 4, 2021.[9] Additionally, Powell's home in Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, was raided by the FBI,[10] all of her weapons were confiscated, and she was placed under house arrest.[11] A Washington, D.C., federal judge later allowed Powell to be released on bail on the condition that she wear face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19,[8][12][13] which she violated by wearing a mesh mask.[14][15][16]
On April 5, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Powell on nine counts, comprising three felonies and six misdemeanors. On July 18, 2023, following a bench trial, Powell was found guilty of all charges, which included civil disorder and destruction of government property.[3][17]
Sentencing
[edit]Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 96 months or eight years in prison,[5][6][7] describing Powell as a "leading participant in the most violent insurrection to occur at the U.S. Capitol in over 200 years".[1] Powell's attorney argued against jail time, pointing to her lack of a criminal record and the fact that she had not physically harmed anyone during the riot.[11]
Powell rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, which included a four-year prison sentence without the right of appeal and admitted to the charge of obstruction of justice.[9]
On October 17, 2023, Powell was sentenced to 57 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.[1][6] She was also ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines, and fees.[9][17][18][19]
The day prior to starting her sentence, Powell told CNN: "I don't have remorse for attending protests; I don't have remorse for speaking out and saying that I believe that the election is stolen. I do have remorse for breaking a window and destroying my whole family's life, and for thinking irrationally."[9]
Incarceration
[edit]Powell began serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Hazelton, on January 9, 2024, three days after the third anniversary of the Capitol riot.[4]
Powell appealed her sentence; a resentencing date was set for January 6, 2025, the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot, though was delayed due to weather.[20]
Release
[edit]On January 20, 2025, the first day of his second presidency, Trump pardoned Powell along with almost every other participant in the Capitol riot.[21] She was released from the D.C. Jail, a correctional facility in Washington, D.C., the following day.[22] Upon her release, Powell expressed regret for the violence on January 6, stating: "I feel like a fool because I walked into something unexpected. That doesn't excuse my behavior that day, but I can't go back. I can only go forward. Let's go forward as a country and heal."[23]
Other activity
[edit]On December 28, 2023, Powell posted a tweet that included a photo of her wearing an ankle monitor. The tweet, in which Powell complained about her prison sentence, was criticized by other Twitter users.[24]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Bartos, Madeine (October 17, 2023). ""Bullhorn Lady" Rachel Powell sentenced to nearly 5 years on Jan. 6 charges". Washington, D.C.: CBS News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Farrow, Ronan (February 1, 2021). "A Pennsylvania Mother's Path to Insurrection". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rachel Powell: Pennsylvania woman who used bullhorn to direct Capitol rioters convicted of Jan. 6 charges". CBS News. July 18, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Bond, Paul (January 6, 2024). "Meet The 'Pink Hat Lady' of the Capitol Riot: 'It Was Like War'". Newsweek. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Reilly, Ryan J. (October 12, 2023). "Feds seek 8 years for 'Bullhorn Lady' who smashed a Capitol window during Jan. 6 attack". Washington, D.C.: NBC News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Reilly, Ryan J. (October 17, 2023). "Jan. 6 rioter who smashed window and received signed Trump hat is sentenced to more than 4 years". Washington, D.C.: NBC News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Nguyen, Alex (October 17, 2023). "Rachel Powell, Jan. 6 'Bullhorn Lady,' Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Grandahl, Rebecca; Polantz, Katelyn; Murphy, Paul P. (February 11, 2021). "Woman who allegedly broke a Capitol window with a battering ram will be released from jail pending trial, judge rules". CNN. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Phillips, Aleks (January 10, 2024). "Teary-Eyed January 6 'Bullhorn Lady' Admits 'I Destroyed Everything'". Newsweek. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "FBI Raids Home Of Rachel Powell, Mercer County Mother Of 8 Suspected In Capitol Attack". Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania: CBS News. Associated Press. February 7, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "'Bullhorn Lady' Rachel Powell, Mercer Co. Woman Arrested For Role In Capitol Riot, Released From Jail Pending Upcoming Trial". Butler, Pennsylvania: CBS News. February 12, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Rohrlich, Justin (February 11, 2021). "Judge to Bullhorn Mom: You're 'So Unpatriotic It Makes My Straight Hair Curl'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ Gerstein, Julie (February 12, 2021). "Judge tells Capitol siege 'bullhorn lady' she's 'so unpatriotic it makes my straight hair curl'". Business Insider. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ Hsu, Spencer S. (April 16, 2021). "Pa. woman charged in Capitol riot may face jail after allegedly flouting court order to wear mask". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ Perrett, Connor (April 10, 2021). "Capitol riot 'bullhorn lady' appeared in a video to wear a useless mesh mask after a judge ordered her to wear one as a part of her release". Business Insider. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ Ove, Torsten (April 18, 2021). "Accused 'bullhorn lady' Capitol rioter in trouble with U.S. judge over mask". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach". Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. October 17, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Levenson, Michael (October 17, 2023). "Woman Who Used Bullhorn to Rally Rioters on Jan. 6 Gets Nearly 5 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Guza, Megan (October 17, 2023). "'Pink Hat Lady' from Mercer County sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for role in Capitol riot". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Stone, Laurel (January 6, 2025). "4 years later: Where local Jan. 6 cases stand". WKBN. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ Guza, Megan (January 20, 2025). "Western Pennsylvanians connected to attack on Capitol pardoned in sweeping Trump order". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Morgan, Josh (January 21, 2025). "Jan. 6 rioters go free after Trump pardons". USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Sheehan, Andy (January 21, 2025). ""Bullhorn Lady" Rachel Powell released from prison after January 6 pardons from President Trump". Washington, D.C.: CBS News. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Ettinger, Marlon (December 28, 2023). "January 6th ice pick rioter posts ankle bracelet photo, complains about her 51-month sentence". The Daily Dot. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
