A man whose television was continuously tuned to Fox News, and who knew “next to nothing” about the 2020 election, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Patrick McCaughey III participated in “some of the worst violence inside the lower west tunnel,” crushing an officer with a police shield, NBC News reported Friday. The prosecutor had asked for a hefty 15-year sentence, which would have been the longest term given to a Capitol rioter. The judge in the case, Trevor McFadden, is a Trump appointee.
McCaughey’s sister wrote a letter to the court explaining that her brother had been “radicalized” by their father, who only played “Fox News and Turner Classic Movies” in their home. She wrote that McCaughey’s “entire livelihood depended on having a good relationship with my father.”
“I believe my father’s dedication to ignoring all issues that did not interest him, and his tendency to cut out those who disagreed with him forced my brother to adapt to his interests once again and therefore, radicalize himself too,” she wrote
McCaughey was convicted in September and has been in custody ever since, according to NBC. Two other men stood trial with McCaughey: David Mehaffie, who received 14 months in federal prison, and Tristan Stevens, who received five years.
According to court documents, McCaughey’s lawyers had argued that he was “motivated by a misunderstanding as to the facts surrounding the 2020 election” and that he “knew next to nothing about the 2020 election and listened to sources of information that were clearly false
McCaughey’s victim, Officer Daniel Hodges read a statement before Friday’s sentencing:
At a time when we are struggling to field enough police to maintain public safety, Mr. McCaughey took part in an assault that removed 50 officers from duty. That’s 50 officers that no longer have my back when I’m on a call, 50 officers that can no longer protect the city, and 50 officers that won’t be there the next time a would-be dictator decides to try his luck against these United States.
