Rachel Powell is one of hundreds of prisoners granted amnesty for their role in the Capitol riot as President Trump has sought to alter the record of that day. Her life, like her nation, is deeply changed.
Rachel Powell is one of hundreds of prisoners granted amnesty for their role in the Capitol riot as President Trump has sought to alter the record of that day. Her life, like her nation, is deeply changed.
On her 15th day of freedom as a pardoned participant in the Jan. 6 riot, Rachel Powell drove through western Pennsylvania’s gray winter to the county courthouse in Franklin. She needed to check off applying for a gun permit from her homecoming to-do list.
With her two youngest children trailing behind, Ms. Powell walked into the Venango County Sheriff’s Office, where a sign advised visitors to “Keep Calm and Carry.” She swept her long dark hair from her face and began filling out the concealed-carry application, only to stop short at the existential dilemma posed by Question G:
Are you now charged with or have you ever been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year?
If she answered yes, her application could not be processed. If she answered no, she feared being charged again with breaking the law.
“Can I make a note that I answered this way because I have a presidential pardon?” asked Ms. Powell, who once owned an AK-47 rifle and a Glock pistol.
The two clerks behind the desk could provide little guidance, never having dealt with a presidential pardon. Neither could a deputy sheriff, who advised her to consult a lawyer because he did not want her to get into more trouble.
“Drumroll, please,” Ms. Powell finally said. “I’m marking no.”
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