Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 49
- Location
- Riverview, Florida
- Charges
- Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Matthew Council was part of a larger group that broke into the Senate wing of the Capitol building and was pushing against officers trying to keep an emergency door closed, according to federal court documents. The door was eventually breached, and officers who were there said Council was among those who pushed through. “All during this time he was continually yelling at police officers that were trying to contain the scene,” the statement of facts reads. In the melee, Council pushed a Capitol Police officer. He was pepper-sprayed and detained. While in custody, but before he was advised of his Miranda rights, Council “expressed remorse about pushing the officer and indicated that he did not intend to injure her.”
Case History
Council pleaded Guilty to all six charges. Sentenced on 12/12/2022 to 60 Months Probation; including 180 days of Home Incarceration with Location Monitoring; Special assessment of $270; Restitution of $2,000; 100 hours of community service. Council 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.