From all his fans Donald Trumpo Derrick Evans has a special reason to be happy with the election result: he hopes the new president will pardon him for his involvement in the invasion of January 6 at Capitol of the USA.

“Grace will change my life,” says Evans, who was a member of the local West Virginia legislature when he and at least 2,000 others stormed the Capitol in 2021, trying to overturn the election, motivated by the false belief that the Trump had won.

Evans, after reaching a deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty and spent three months in federal prison in 2022. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly said he would pardon the rioters, whom he has called “patriots” and ” political prisoners”.

But exactly who will be pardoned—and when—remains an open question.

“I think he will keep his word,” Evans told the BBC.

In March Trump wrote on his account at Truth Social that one of his first actions as president would be to “release the unjustly imprisoned January 6 hostages!”

He reiterated the pledge at a National Association of Black Journalists forum in Chicago in July: “I absolutely would,” he said. “If they are innocent, I would forgive them.”

But he avoided talking about a blanket pardon, telling CNN at one point: “I tend to pardon a lot of them. I can’t say for everyone, because some of them probably got out of control.

His campaign has previously said decisions will be made “on a case-by-case basis when he returns to the White House.”

Arrests are still being made

The events of January 6 led to one of the largest federal investigations in US history. Nearly 600 people have been charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing police officers.

Some of those who have been sentenced with the longest sentences, such as the founder of Oath KeepersStewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio, leader of Proud Boyswere not involved in the incidents inside the building. Instead, they were convicted of conspiracy and other felonies for organizing the fight.

Arrests continue. In a briefing last week, the FBI said it was still searching for nine suspects in violent attacks on police officers.

But with Trump — who still maintains, without evidence, that he was the winner of the 2020 election — back in the White House, the future of the investigation remains uncertain.

Citing Justice Department sources, NBC News reported that officials are focused on trying the “most egregious” cases before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.