Jan. 6 defendant held Pentagon job, clearance

June 5, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

A Jan. 6 defendant who later expressed remorse now works in a Pentagon role with a top-secret clearance, officials said.

Why this matters

The case highlights how people convicted in the Jan. 6 attack, including those later pardoned, have moved into federal positions with access to sensitive information. It also underscores the continuing public scrutiny of security clearances and political appointments.

Elias Irizarry, who pleaded guilty in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, now works in a Department of War job that includes a top-secret security clearance.

Irizarry serves as a special assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense Derrick Anderson, who leads the military’s Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict policy office. Irizarry has worked at the department since early last year.

Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed Irizarry’s employment, writing on X: “Mr. Elias Irizarry is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee at the Department of War.”

Federal prosecutors said Irizarry, then a 19-year-old student at The Citadel, traveled to Washington in January 2021 with a friend and an internet acquaintance, attended President Trump’s Jan. 6 rally, and went to the Capitol.

According to prosecutors, he entered the Capitol through a shattered window, spent 27 minutes inside, and walked into a conference room and the rotunda while carrying a metal pole. His lawyer said he entered the building to look for his acquaintance.

Irizarry pleaded guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail.

At his 2023 sentencing, Irizarry apologized to police officers and told the judge his actions “brought great shame upon myself, my family and even my country,” according to a transcript. He added: “I am ashamed because I will always be a part of this disgrace.”

His federal public defender wrote that Irizarry was not an election denier or conspiracy theorist and that his “regret and remorse stands out.”

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan called the case “one of the most difficult I have had of the January 6th cases,” citing his age and background. She told him, “Everybody makes mistakes; some are more serious than others, and yours was a big one.”

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