A former State Department political appointee under the Trump administration has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot. Federico Klein was convicted of eight felony charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers and obstructing an official proceeding. The sentencing took place on Friday, with DC US District Judge Trevor McFadden condemning Klein’s actions as shocking and egregious. Klein’s sentence would have been even harsher if he hadn’t already spent two years confined at home.
Judge McFadden emphasized that the country is governed by laws and not individuals, highlighting Klein’s attempt to undermine this principle. McFadden also noted that Klein displayed no remorse for his actions. In addition to his prison term, Klein will be subjected to 24 months of supervised release after serving his sentence, according to the DC US Attorney’s Office.
Klein is among more than 1,000 individuals who have been arrested for their involvement in the Capitol riot, with approximately 400 receiving prison sentences. Federal prosecutors argued that Klein’s motive for participating in the riot was personal gain, particularly to secure continued employment as a political appointee. Prior to the riot, Klein had texted, Hell yea, I’m going. I’m a Trump appointee. He had also taken time off from his State Department duties to investigate voter fraud claims in Las Vegas.
According to the Justice Department, Klein was one of the first rioters to breach the barriers at the Capitol and engage in physical altercations with law enforcement. He even used a stolen police riot shield to confront officers as they tried to secure the tunnel entrance of the West Lower Terrace. Klein and his co-defendant, Steven Cappuccio, led a mob in an aggressive push against Capitol Police in the tunnel, causing one officer to be trapped between metal doors and a riot shield. Cappuccio also forcefully removed the officer’s gas mask and struck him with his own baton while shouting obscenities.
Klein was employed in the State Department’s office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs from 2017 until he resigned on January 19, 2021, one day prior to President Biden’s inauguration. Cappuccio, who was also convicted in relation to the riot, was set to be sentenced on the same day as Klein.
Stanley Woodward, the attorney representing Klein and Cappuccio, argued in court that prosecutors were overly concerned with the publicity surrounding the case. Woodward maintained that Klein, as the first Trump administration employee to be arrested after January 6th, had already learned that violence was not an appropriate response to civil disagreements. Woodward declared that Klein had undergone a transformation and did not require a lengthy sentence to deter him or the general public.
As this high-profile sentencing unfolded, Woodward declined to provide additional comments to the media. The case served as a reminder of the ongoing legal repercussions faced by those involved in the Capitol riot, with authorities continuing to hold individuals accountable for their actions on that fateful day.
