John Earle Sullivan, who had previously addressed a Black Lives Matter rally in DC, received a six-year sentence after being convicted of felony obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder. Prosecutors asserted that Sullivan aimed to “incite violence” and “stir up chaos” during the Capitol protests on J6, as reported by NBC News.
“I brought my megaphone to stir things up,” he admitted to jurors during the trial. Sullivan had previously spoken at a BLM rally in DC in 2020, where he called for a revolution and advocated for the removal of Trump from office before the next election.
Despite being a vocal critic of Trump and identifying as an “antiestablishment” activist supporting the BLM movement, Sullivan found himself convicted on seven counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and various charges related to his actions during the Capitol unrest.
Throughout the trial, Sullivan maintained that he was merely a journalist observing events, stating, “I followed the crowd. I’m there to document.” However, his past involvement with an extremist group in Salt Lake City called Insurgence USA, where he claimed to combat a “white militia” group, added layers of complexity to his narrative.