Son of a Trump-backed politician arrested on January 6 on charges

The son of a former North Dakota Republican lawmaker was arrested on September 30 on charges related to the January 6 insurrection, according to the North Dakota News Service Forum.

Federal court documents show that Damian Johnston, Daniel Johnston’s son, was identified as a “Stop the Steal” rally attendee based on a video posted by his mother on Facebook, the newspaper reported. The FBI reportedly received information about Johnston’s alleged involvement in the Capitol attack from an unidentified family associate.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnston was charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. obtained through the socket.

The complaint also alleges that Johnston used his cellphone to take photos or videos of his surroundings while he was near the Vault, an area within the Capitol building.

According to a local news outlet, Johnston was released following a Sept. 26 court hearing and his upcoming hearing is scheduled for Oct. 10 via Zoom. North Dakota Monitor.

Newsweek I have reached out to Damian Johnston via Facebook and email for comment outside of business hours and will update this article if he responds.

Johnston, a resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, was vice president of the Young Republicans of North Dakota before he resigned in February, according to a Facebook post.

Newsweek contacted the Young Republicans of North Dakota through an after-hours form on their website.

Johnston’s Facebook account shows that he has already run for school board in 2022.

Damian’s father, Daniel Johnston, was elected to the Republican House of Representatives in 2016. In 2020, he ran for state treasurer and was endorsed by Donald Trump in a post on X, then known as Twitter. He was defeated in the Republican primary by Thomas Beadle. Currently, Johnston is running again for a seat in the North Dakota House of Representatives.

Talking to Midnight Dakota Monitor Johnston said his son “was carried away by the mob” but followed police instructions and said many state residents were unaware he was breaking the law while at the Capitol.

He added: “I love my son. I love my country and the state of North Dakota. I respect the rule of law and the justice system. I believe that a fair and just trial will consider the facts and there will be a speedy resolution. “

Newsweek attempted to contact Daniel Johnston for comment via email outside of business hours.

In a statement regarding Johnston’s arrest, Democratic NPL Chairman Adam Goldwyn said: “January 6 was one of the darkest days in modern American history. Following Donald Trump’s orders, MAGA criminals ransacked the Capitol, threatened democracy, and brutally attacked law enforcement officers. U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was killed and four other people committed suicide after the riots.”

He continued: “All these rioters should be held accountable in court. Every Republican running for office should condemn Johnston’s actions.”

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