A New York man who took part in the January 6 Capitol riot is running for the Long Island and Queens congressional seat that was represented by ex-Rep George Santos until his expulsion.
At his trial, Philip Sean Grillo made the bizarre admission during his testimony that he didn’t know that Congress convened inside the US Capitol.
The Queens resident was found guilty on Tuesday of obstruction of an official proceeding – a felony – in relation to the riot that temporarily ground the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory to a halt.
Grillo was also found guilty of several misdemeanours such as entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, a DoJ press release stated. He was detained on 23 February 2021.
The Department of Justice said that evidence presented during the trial revealed that the 49-year-old “was present at the front of a group of rioters facing the police line on the West Plaza of the US Capitol grounds. Shortly after he was seen on the grounds, Grillo was observed illegally entering the Capitol building via a broken window near the Senate Wing door at about 2.20pm carrying a megaphone”.
“Grillo then made his way up the stairs to the Rotunda. While ascending the stairs, Grillo was interviewed by an individual inside the Capitol, who recorded the interview on video,” the DoJ press release said.
“Look at me and tell me what you’re here for?” the person asked Grillo.
“I’m here to stop the steal. It’s our f****** House!” he said before moving further into the building.
Grillo also recorded videos of himself while inside the Capitol, as seen in footage from that day.
Philip Sean Grillo is seen filming himself on his phone in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021— (U.S. District Court for D.C.)
“We f***ing did it, you understand? We stormed the Capitol,” he said. “We shut it down! We did it!”
Grillo’s legal team argued that he “believed he was authorized to engage in the conduct set forth in the indictment”.
He hasn’t yet been sentenced, NBC News noted.
In May, he filed to be a candidate in the third congressional district in New York, the area represented by Mr Santos until his expulsion.
In its press release, the Department of Justice stated that “During trial, the defendant testified that he had ‘no idea’ Congress met inside the Capitol building, but also admitted that he is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District”.
It remains unclear if Grillo is simply standing as a candidate in the 2024 election for the seat or if he will also attempt to win the seat in the upcoming special election to replace Mr Santos on 13 February 2024.
The Department of Justice noted that in the 35 months that have passed since the insurrection, “more than 1,230 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing”.
