Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 47
- Location
- Summerville, South Carolina
- Charges
- Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Dismissed in part or full; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Two tipsters and five witnesses help make up the FBI’s case against Chadwick Clifton, court documents show. Clifton, prosecutors say, traveled to Washington, D.C., with his neighbor David Johnston, who is also charged in the riot. Clifton bragged to co-workers about his involvement in the attack on the Capitol, court records indicate, including posting pictures and videos to Facebook and TikTok. In one video, showing Clifton in a gray jacket, red baseball cap and jeans, the caption says Clifton is picking up trash inside the Capitol, court documents show. A search warrant for Clifton’s Facebook account gave prosecutors access to his messages, including one that allegedly read, “When I went to DC that was an experience of a lifetime. I’m sorry that I went inside a broken door where we could have potential he got in trouble but I was a patriot and I made sure that people didn’t destroy things and picked up trash and we respectful.” Clifton was arrested in May 2022.
Case History
Clifton pleaded Guilty to one charge: Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 1/13/2023 to 36 months Probation; 21 days intermittent confinement and 90 days home detention; special assessment of $10; a fine of $500; restitution of $500. Clifton 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 - Supporting Reporting
NPR video evidence pageNPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.