A suspected rioter in the United States Capitol allegedly left her children at home to take part in the insurgency on January 6.
Federal prosecutors allege that accused MAGA rioter Rachel Powell shared custody of six minor children with her ex-husband but left them unattended while she traveled from her home in Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, to take part in efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s election loss, which she believed would spark a civil war, as CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane reported.
In court filing today, Justice Dept says Jan 6 defendant Rachel Powell made social media post in 2020 about «surveillance of a public official’s home & questioned how to confirm, without entering a courthouse to seek records, that she had the official’s correct address»
(more) pic.twitter.com/oymRAaiNrG
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) June 6, 2022
“I agree with the possibility of civil war happening,” Powell posted on social media in October 2020, according to prosecutors. “I can see that too. Unfortunately, the only way this is probably capable of being fixed is bloodshed because I’m not so sure our government can be fixed the political way anymore.”
According to a new court filing, Powell also discussed “monitoring of a public official’s home and questioned how to validate, without approaching a courthouse to acquire documents, that she had the office’s proper location” on social media in 2020.
Rachel Powell asks judge for ankle monitor to be removed https://t.co/uirNHIQhcJ via @KDKA
— Aida Marina 🇺🇦 ☮️ (@AMiceMarina) June 7, 2022
She has asked a federal judge to loosen the conditions of her pretrial release after pleading guilty to charges related to the riot.
Prosecutors in federal court on Monday rejected a request by a woman from Sandy Lake, Pa., charged in the January 6, 2021 attack on the capitol, to have her pretrial limitations lifted.
The privilege with these people is amazing. Rachel Powell asks judge for ankle monitor to be removed #SmartNews https://t.co/lu3OdYvANj
— E Redding 🥁🥁🥁 FUCK PUTIN and TFG (@e391615r) June 7, 2022
Powell, 41, should be refused, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rochlin, who told U.S. Judge Royce Lamberth in the United States Court For The District Of Columbia, since she has threatened violence twice before.
Powell’s new lawyer, Nicholas D. Smith, submitted a motion on May 26 requesting Judge Lamberth to modify Powell’s home detention order because it interferes with her work schedule and her capacity to raise her children while also taking them to sports and other events.
An accused 1/6 rioter allegedly left her kid’s at home to take pt in the insurrection. Rachel Powell shared custody of 6 minor children w/her ex-husband but left them unattended while she traveled from her home in PA,to take part to overturn TFG election loss & start a civil war pic.twitter.com/Oj2I26Lbma
— Michele🌻🇺🇦 🕊🆘SaveUkraine🇺🇦🆘🌻 (@RadarResist) June 6, 2022
Powell is facing an eight-count federal indictment for her role in the chaos at the Capitol on the day the United States Senate was meeting to confirm the Electoral College results and appoint Joe Biden as president.
Powell is currently being kept under house arrest pending her trial. Her previous attorney resigned from the case on May 11, and Smith took over as her new lawyer.
Prosecutors allege that accused MAGA rioter Rachel Powell left her six minor children unattended while she traveled from her home in Pennsylvania to take part in efforts to overturn Trump’s election loss, which she believed might trigger a civil war. https://t.co/ELMki9fjp4
— John FitzGerald (@TheTweetOfJohn) June 6, 2022
Smith claimed in his motion that because of the legal fees Powell must pay, she was obliged to sell her home and relocate on the basis of her work. He claims that this makes it difficult for her to raise her six children because the house is too small for three of her teenage kids, so they live in a nearby rental property, but Powell is unable to visit them after 6 p.m. because her house arrest monitoring equipment cannot be set up there.
Smith believes it is risky to leave the teenagers alone in the rental property overnight without supervision. Powell finds it difficult to drive her children to sporting events or other activities if they are out of the monitoring area, according to Smith.
Rachel Powell’s latest lies, the government’s opposition.https://t.co/GUN3tOK6MD
— KC missing the Sunshine Band M.S.😷💃 (@hockeynut0118) June 6, 2022
Smith noted that her confinement has an impact on her employment because she is unable to attend meetings or other work-related activities.
“She has several children who are in school and has meager resources,” Smith wrote. “The contention she is a flight risk is baseless.”
Powell does not have custody of her children, who live with their father and visit her, according to Rochlin’s opposing brief, thus those reasons for requesting a modification of her imprisonment are “intermittent and transient.”
Rachel Powell uses her kids to raise funds ($9,843 so far). «Rachel attended the Capitol protest and got caught up in the moment. Anyone who knows her, knows that she is a good person and mother. We want her to have a chance to be able to see her children grow up.» pic.twitter.com/vSMyMAMm8O
— Ken Cox 🇨🇦 (@KenCox) June 6, 2022
Powell can also request a change in the hours she is permitted to leave the house or visits from her children, according to Rochlin.
Powell had threatened violence at least twice before she was detained, according to Rochlin. Powell claimed in a message on Nov. 11, 2020, that she had surveilled the home of an unknown public person and inquired how she could be sure the home belonged to the official without having to travel to a courthouse.
Rochlin said that in October of 2020, Howell commented on Facebook that a civil war might break out, adding, “Unfortunately, the only way this is likely capable of being addressed is violence because I’m not so sure our government can be fixed the political way anymore, either.”
MAGA-Rioter Rachel Powell ‘Left Six Minor Children Unattended’ to Participate in the Capitol Hill Insurrection pic.twitter.com/kUfk7fZlfl
— John Ferguson (@Fearguth) June 6, 2022
Powell also uploaded images of herself with guns on social media at a shooting range, along with remarks like Guns don’t kill people; I do,” and “Prayer is a good way to meet the Lord but trespassing is faster.”
Powell left her children alone to go to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, according to Rochlin, and there are several images of her in Facebook live videos at the capital shouting and pushing at the line of police trying to keep people out, and that she stayed for several hours, exhorting several people through a bullhorn that she had already been inside.
.@MacFarlaneNews: Rachel Powell left 6 minor children at home alone on Jan 6th to travel from PA to DC. Now she complains her ankle bracelet & curfew are restricting her from taking care of her children. I call BULLSH!T on what Rachel Powell wants.https://t.co/RoVg4zkebV https://t.co/w3AgJxiK9F
— Voting Is A Priority – YOUR VOTE MATTERS (@Unfreakin) June 6, 2022
Rochlin stated that she pushed everyone inside to stick together so they could take the building and that she was seen with an ice pick outside a smashed window.
Powell was wanted by FBI investigators on Jan. 16, 2021, but she did not turn herself in until Feb. 4, 2021, after giving an interview to a reporter from an undisclosed location while still wanted, according to Rochlin.
