Hunter Palm

Case Summary

Videos that show Hunter Palm inside the U.S. Capitol came from a flash drive that he shared with federal agents after they tracked him down via a tip from a family member, according to court documents. The tipster said that Palm called from Washington, D.C., and said that police allowed him to enter the building on Jan. 6, 2021, and that once inside he wandered around, looked at statues and eventually sat down to rest in a conference room before climbing out a window, documents say. When the FBI interviewed Palm, he said he was pushed through a door, and admitted that he had entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6. He told agents he removed all the photos and videos related to the riot from his phone and put them on a flash drive, which he provided to law enforcement. The videos on the drive show Palm and others walking toward and through a Capitol entrance, shouting "Stop the Steal," which matches surveillance footage. There is no evidence of anyone pushing him, according to court documents. Later videos taken by Palm, along with more surveillance footage, show him in the Crypt of the Capitol, pushing deeper into the building and walking through a hallway while voices shout threats apparently to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outside a door marked Office of the Speaker. Rioters then open the door, according to court documents, and Palm enters the speaker's conference room and can be heard asking, "You guys want a tour?" He walks around the conference room, filming a laptop on the table and asks, "Who's good at hacking?" Court documents show that finally, he sits at the head of a long table, puts his feet up and is heard saying, "I think I like my new dining room. I pay for it." More open-source video captured Palm with his feet up at the conference table. Palm was arrested May 12, 2021, in Colorado.

Case History

Palm pleaded Guilty to one charge: Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 1/4/2024 to 36 Months Probation; 45 days location monitoring; 100 hours of community service; $500 Restitution; $25 Special Assessment. Palm 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.