Trump Administration Appoints Pardoned Jan. 6 Participant to Pentagon Counterterrorism Role – WaPo
The Trump administration has hired Elias Irizarry, convicted of a misdemeanor for entering the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, for a position in the Pentagon’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC) office.
Irizarry was 19 and a Citadel cadet at the time. He entered the Capitol through a broken window, pleaded guilty to entering a restricted area, served 14 days in jail, and expressed regret. President Trump pardoned him in 2025.
He now works in SOLIC’s irregular warfare and counterterrorism section, which oversees policy for highly classified programs including special operations forces, embassy security, hostage rescue, and counterterrorism.
Some Defense Department staff have raised concerns about trusting a January 6 convict with top-secret clearances and sensitive national security duties.
Pentagon officials defend the political appointment, describing Irizarry as “a qualified, patriotic young professional” and saying they are proud to have him on the team.
The hire is part of the administration’s broader effort to reintegrate pardoned January 6 defendants into government service. Irizarry remains in the role as of June 2026.
