Andrew Michael Cavanaugh

Case Summary

Federal agents identified Andrew Cavanaugh in videos shot inside the U.S. Capitol and posted on the conservative social media platform Parler. One video appears to show Cavanaugh on the first floor of the Capitol in the Small House Rotunda. At one point, according to an FBI affidavit, a man taking the video shouts, “Where are the f****** traitors at? Drag them out by their f****** hair,” seemingly referring to U.S. senators and representatives, and Cavanaugh responds off camera with “Yeah!” While participating in the riot, Cavanaugh wore a hat with the name of his firearm training academy, Tactical Citizen, according to the FBI. Cavanaugh's LinkedIn page states he served on "multiple security details protecting U.S. Presidents Bush and Obama, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of State." The profile also mentions that he "provided armed internal security to U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities and protected U.S. citizens, government property and classified material and equipment." Cavanaugh served in the U.S. Marines from 2003 to 2011 and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed.

Case History

Cavanaugh pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced 8/4/2022 to 24 months of probation, 60 hours of community service, $500 restitution; $10 special assessment. Cavanaugh received a full pardon on January 20, 2025

Sources

• Primary Documentation
  NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR
• Primary Documentation
  Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR

Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.