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Topekan Will Pope goes on trial Dec. 2 for the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol

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A former Topeka City Council candidate who was among the crowd that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on December 2.

Will Pope's trial was originally scheduled for July but was delayed after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a lower court to consider how to handle obstruction charges for the hundreds of people facing trial for their involvement in the riots were charged at the Capitol.

Pope, along with his brother Michael Pope, were indicted by federal prosecutors in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

In October, Michael Pope was found guilty of attempting to impede, impede, or interfere with a law enforcement officer, knowingly entering a restricted building, knowingly obstructing government business, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building have.

The two were charged together but have separate trials.

Pretrial documents in Will Pope case released Jan. 6

In proposed statements in the case, in which both parties summarize their positions before trial, prosecutors say Pope breached the security perimeter of the Capitol grounds, entered the building and obstructed, hindered or obstructed police officers who were trying to keep rioters away from the Capitol Clear out those who had already broken in.

Pope argues that the government “rushed to put together the case before considering all the facts.” In doing so, Pope claims that evidence was destroyed and that the allegations against him “should never have been made.”

The legal document states that a journalist was exercising his First Amendment right, was forced into the Capitol and was peaceful the entire time. Pope's YouTube channel Free State Kansas provides videos on news topics, and he frequently posts right-wing commentary on the news to his 43,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter.

However, the original complaint said Pope also participated in the protest in addition to his journalistic efforts.

“When asked why he entered the U.S. Capitol instead of staying outside, WILLIAM POPE explained that they entered the building to express concern about the direction of the nation. “Specifically, WILLIAM POPE stated that questionable things occurred during the election and that citizens deserved a comprehensive election audit,” FBI Agent Clay Chase wrote in the complaint.

Pope contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations on January 12 to turn himself in. He told them that he had not damaged any property or used violence and that he had left the building voluntarily.

The Pope faces a maximum sentence of 16 years. However, most rioters who did not belong to an organization planning a break-in received significantly lighter sentences. Former and future President Donald Trump has promised to pardon people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.

In 2019, Pope was one of three candidates running for Topeka City Council's 2nd District, finishing second with 37% of the vote.

More: Capitol riot defendant Will Pope of Topeka watches video in the case involving CNN and Fox News

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