Illinois Governor Bans State From Hiring J6 Rioters

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has banned the state from hiring individuals convicted of crimes during the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building.

A spokesperson for Pritzker declined to comment when reached out to by Newsweek.

Why It Matters

Pritzker’s order comes after President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons for those convicted during the riot, which occurred when a group of his supporters violently protested the result of the 2020 presidential election. The pardons include those who were convicted of violent crimes and assaulting police officers.

The January 6 pardons sparked a wave of backlash during Trump’s first week in office, with polls suggesting they are broadly unpopular with the electorate. Pritzker’s order represents one way that Democrats are fighting back to retain some consequences for those who engaged in the riot.

What To Know

Pritzker wrote that he believes the Illinois workforce should “reflect the values of Illinois and demonstrate honesty, integrity and loyalty to serving the taxpayers,” according to a copy of the order posted on X (formerly Twitter) by CBS News journalist Scott MacFarlane on Friday.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker attends a rally in Chicago on April 27, 2022.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

“No one who attempts to overthrow a government should serve in government,” Pritzker wrote in the order, which directs the state to “consider any participation in the January 6 insurrection as infamous and disgraceful conduct that is antithetical to the mission of the State.”

It is unclear whether anyone who participated in the January 6 riot had applied for any state jobs in Illinois or whether the order is preemptive.

The Illinois governor has been among the most vocal critics of Trump since the president returned to the White House on January 20, 2025.

Pritzker has raised concerns about Trump’s planned immigrant raids on Chicago, the largest city in his state, telling CNN last weekend that he should not be targeting “law- abiding” residents in the state.

What People Are Saying

Journalist Scot Bertram wrote on X: “Pritzker signed a law in 2021 that amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to make it a state civil rights violation for employers to use an individual’s criminal conviction record in any employment decision.”

Billy Gribbin, communications director for Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, wrote on X: “It’s nice of him to announce in advance that Illinois taxpayers have some lawsuits coming they’ll have to pay for.”

Representative Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote on X: “Trash everywhere. Doors and windows smashed and breached. Cops viciously attacked. Feces smeared on the walls of our national symbol. I was there on January 6. One of the last people on the House Floor. It was a disgrace. Pardoning the traitors and terrorists who did it is an endorsement of political violence and rioting.”