College student who toted ‘members only’ sign in Capitol pleads guilty
By Hannah Rabinowitz
A former University of Kentucky senior caught on security footage lugging a congressional “members only” sign around the US Capitol pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal misdemeanor for her part in the January 6 riot.
Twenty-three-year-old Gracyn Courtright pleaded guilty to illegally entering and remaining in a restricted building or ground on January 6. As part of the deal, Courtright agreed to pay $500 in restitution for damage done to the Capitol during the riot. Prosecutors have cut similar deals with other defendants who were not violent or destructive inside the building.
Courtright is one of several rioters CNN has previously reported did not vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Prosecutors say she told an associate that “idk what treason is,” and posted a mirror selfie on Instagram captioned, “Infamy is just as good as fame. Either way I end up more known. XOXO.”
Courtright could face up to six months in prison, though it is likely she will be ordered to serve much less, or even no jail time, when she is sentenced in November. District Judge Christopher Cooper scheduled Courtright to be sentenced at an in-person hearing in DC but said that plan might change since Courtright and her family have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
The plea comes as prosecutors have increased the pressure on Capitol riot defendants who bragged about their participation after the fact. Though defendants aren’t required to apologize, federal prosecutors have cited defiant comments from some to argue in court that they should face harsher punishments.
As she prepared to enter her guilty plea during the virtual proceeding on Monday, Courtright started crying.
“I’m just — I’m just shaking. I’m sorry,” she told the judge.
Courtright said that shortly after January 6, she withdrew from the University of Kentucky, where she studied mathematical economics. In December, Courtright will face a board at the school that will decide if she can return to class.
The Justice Department has charged more than 590 people in the massive Capitol riot investigation. So far, 46 have pleaded guilty.
The-CNN-Wire
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