CHARLESTON — A member of the West Virginia National Guard who wore a hoodie that read “Yes, I’m a Trump girl” inside the United States Capitol rotunda during the Jan. 6 riot pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor on Wednesday.
Jamie Lynn Ferguson pleaded to march, demonstrate or picket a Capitol building during a conference call with a US magistrate in Washington, DC. The charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Prosecutors have asked that three other counts be dismissed. Ferguson, 44, also agreed to pay $500 in restitution for damages to the Capitol. Sentencing was set for November 18.
On January 3, 2021, Ferguson shared a post on his Facebook account containing a photo of a crowd outside the Capitol with a thundercloud and Mount Rushmore above. A caption in the post read, “I pray this is exactly what DC will look like on January 6th. #Stay on the line.” A comment on the post asked if Ferguson was going to the Capitol and she replied, “I am,” according to court documents.
In an interview with FBI special agents a week after the riot, Ferguson admitted to attending former President Donald Trump. “Stop Theft” rally in front of the White House before heading to the Capitol. Ferguson wore a dark hoodie with the phrase “Yes, I’m a Trump Girl” in white letters when she entered the building. She spent nearly an hour inside, mostly walking around the rotunda, according to the documents.
A report submitted to the FBI by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations indicates that Ferguson was on leave from the National Guard from January 5-7. Ferguson said she attended the rally with her parents, who later left. Ferguson said she went to the Capitol because she thought she could see Trump again.
At the time of his arrest in May in Lynchburg, Va., Ferguson was a technical sergeant and part-time drill status guard assigned to the West Virginia Air National Guard. A West Virginia National Guard spokesperson did not immediately return an email Wednesday.
Under the terms of his release, Ferguson was ordered to stay at his parents’ home in Virginia.
More than 830 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. More than 320 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor charges, and more than 200 have been sentenced.
