SIMON SAYS

Judge Says Rioter Followed ‘Trump’s Instructions’ to Storm the Capitol

Danean MacAndrew was found guilty on charges including disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

A federal judge said Tuesday that a California woman whose D.C. trip to Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally ended with her storming the Capitol had “followed then-President Trump’s instructions.” After a three-day bench trial, Danean MacAndrew, who filmed herself at the riot, was found guilty on charges including disorderly conduct in the Capitol. Before the rally, MacAndrew tweeted at the former president sharing her belief that the 2020 election was rigged, District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly noted in her 18-page opinion. “Every step of the way, from the western boundary of Capitol grounds, to the West Lawn, to the Upper West Terrace, to the interior of the Capitol itself, she saw sign after sign that her presence was unlawful,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote. “Having followed then-President Trump’s instructions, which were in line with her stated desires, the Court therefore finds that Defendant intended her presence to be disruptive to Congressional business.”