According to a court document on Friday, a former Connecticut mayoral candidate entered a guilty plea to a charge pertaining to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Republican Gino DiGiovanni Jr., who campaigned unsuccessfully for Derby mayor last year, had previously pleaded guilty to a minor offense with prosecutors. When he signed and turned in an acknowledgment of his activities, he formally entered a guilty plea.
DiGiovanni held the elected office of alderman in the past.
DiGiovanni entered a guilty plea to the charge of entering and remaining on restricted grounds.
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A statement of offense that DiGiovanni said was true read, “Specifically, the defendant admits that he knowingly entered and remained in a restricted building, that is, the U.S. Capitol Building, without lawful authority to do so.”
A request for comment from DiGiovanni’s lawyer, Martin Minnella, was not immediately answered on Friday night. However, he had previously told NBC News that he anticipated his client receiving a fine and probation, which is the usual punishment for Jan. 6 defendants who enter a guilty plea to a misdemeanor, demonstrate remorse, and have no significant criminal history.
“Gino was there only to voice his opinions. In December, Minnella told NBC News, “He didn’t do any damage.” “It’s a misdemeanor, not an infraction.”
In April, DiGiovanni is scheduled to be sentenced.
An inquiry for comment on Friday night was not immediately answered by a Justice Department representative.
After the reporter approached the then-alderman with images of him on the day of the disturbance, DiGiovanni admitted to the reporter for NBC Connecticut in October 2022 that he had been in the Capitol on January 6.
To NBC Connecticut, DiGiovanni replied, “Yeah, I was there.” “And you certainly have the photos to support your claims. … I walked inside while I was there, and I didn’t destroy or harm anything.
The Department of Justice reports that over 1,265 people have been taken into custody on charges linked to January 6. DiGiovanni has now entered a guilty plea to federal charges related to the disturbance, joining the ranks of almost 700 other defendants.
