Hat tip to Jenn Baker of the Flip the Swith w/ Jenn podcast
Last week, The Gateway Pundit reported exclusively on an eye-witness account to the interaction between Ryan Samsel and Ray Epps on January 6th prior to Samsel and others pushing on a bike rack outside the US Capitol.
James Grant, a co-defendant with Ryan Samsel despite the two not knowing each other previously, sat down for an interview with The Gateway Pundit’s Inside J6 Podcast and later revealed what he heard Epps whisper in Samsel’s ear that day. Grant believes that Epps whispered “We need more [something]” in his ear, but he believed he said “people” after reviewing a recording of the event from directly behind the duo.
Samsel allegedly told the FBI that Epps told him to “relax” and that the police were just doing their jobs. The video does not sound at all like that, but does sound much like “we need more people.” The New York Times reported that Samsel’s admission was recorded, but given the brutality he suffered at the hands of his captors, perhaps he had similar reluctance, as Grant admits to, in telling the full story.
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There was more to the story from Grant, an honors graduate from North Carolina State University with a merit scholarship to the University of Alabama’s law school. Those aspirations would be put on hold indefinitely as Grant was indicted with nine charges from that day.
He would go on to defeat five of the nine charges in a bench trial, but ended up serving 32 months in federal prison. Grant is attempting to resume some resemblance of normalcy while hoping for a victory for President Trump in two weeks and the ensuing pardons for the J6ers. If you would like to support James, you can donate to his GiveSendGo here.
This is his statement obtained exclusively by The Gateway Pundit:
James Grant is a graduate of North Carolina State University with honors in Political Science. He was enrolled to attend the University of Alabama School of Law on a merit scholarship, but political persecution by the FBI and DoJ robbed James of his future. James spent nearly the last 3 years in federal custody for pushing a fence.
Though he was acquitted on 5 of 9 charges at trial, he was still convicted of assault with a deadly weapon for pushing a fence – which didn’t touch anyone. Finally out from under the thumb of the Department of Justice, James is finally able to speak freely and truthfully about his role in the events of January 6th: events including what Ray Epps said and the initial breach.
“The question I get asked most often about January 6th is: “Do you regret it?” And now that I’m no longer under the threat of decades in prison, I can finally give a truthful response. My answer: Absolutely not. I feel a profound sense of pride in standing for what is right and protesting a fraudulent election—no matter the cost. And I am proud to stand amongst men and women who refuse to tolerate stolen elections.
Being free from the threat of decades in prison (101 years to be precise), I can finally speak on something extremely important: Ray Epps. As seen in this photograph, I was just inches away from Ray Epps when he whispered into my codefendant Ryan Samsel’s ear. My lawyer advised me not to talk about it while I was awaiting trial.
Now that I am free from being a political prisoner, I can speak on what I heard Ray Epps say at the front gate to Ryan. It was something to the effect of “we need more people” or “we need more [something]”.
This is completely different from what the government claims Epps said on my legal discovery. In my discovery, it claims Ray told Ryan: “Relax, they are just doing their jobs”. This doesn’t even make sense. Why would he feel the need to whisper that they were just doing their jobs?
Ray whispered it, obviously, because it was something he didn’t want people to hear. Why would you care if people heard you telling him to relax?
The scene was chaotic, and at the time, I had no idea who Ray Epps was. However, it was clear he was suggesting a need for more people to join in. Later, Epps even claimed to have “orchestrated the whole thing”.
This raises questions about why he wasn’t charged with Obstruction of an Official Proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 1512), especially considering hundreds of January 6 defendants faced that charge for much less. It’s also likely Epps wasn’t the only federal instigator or informant present during the initial breach.
The Department of Justice claims my co-defendants and I were charged together because we all pushed the same barrier, even though we had never met before. Yet, there were dozens of people pushing the same barrier. There were even some in between myself and my co-defendants.
To my knowledge, none of them were charged, and certainly none were charged alongside us. How weren’t they charged for the same exact behavior? At best, it’s selective prosecution. At worst, it’s protecting instigators, bad actors, and informants.
The mainstream media never shows the full story of the start of the protest. At the very start of it all, I witnessed an altercation. Someone was grappling with a police officer. Instinctively, I reached out to break it up, trying to pull the individual off the officer. What I didn’t see was a massive Capitol Police officer sprinting down a flight of stairs—only to deliver a running sucker punch in my face, completely unprovoked.
The blind-side hit knocked me unconscious briefly and could have killed me had I landed on the ground differently. This assault was not only illegal but also violated Capitol Police protocol. In Washington, D.C., police are trained to meet force with equal force. But instead, this officer chose to escalate by throwing a haymaker at an unsuspecting protestor—me—who was just trying to de-escalate the situation.
How absurd is it that a Capitol officer did far worse to me than what the FBI charged me for? An officer illegally full-sprint punches me in the face, yet somehow I’m the one who gets indicted for assault with a deadly weapon — for pushing a fence that didn’t hit anyone.
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Justified?? @xAlphaWarriorx pic.twitter.com/QHfLZVnHVc
— CannCon (@CannConActual) October 23, 2024
What’s even more frustrating is that this act of police brutality was deliberately concealed. The public never saw this footage, and the media and J6 Select Committee conveniently cut it out when airing video of the initial breach — perhaps because it didn’t fit their narrative? By hiding this footage, they helped cover up the kind of excessive force that contributed to the tragic deaths of four Americans that day.
It should come as no surprise, as the government has been hiding footage from all January 6 defendants.
Even today, we fight with the government and wait for Congress to release all of the footage from that day. I know for a fact there is footage of me stopping someone from breaking a window, yet my lawyer and I were unable to find it and it went unmentioned at trial.
My belief is that the government deleted it. We can’t have any J6ers looking reasonable, can we?
Imagine the absurdity of it all: A law student shows up to protest a fraudulent election and pushes a fence that didn’t touch anyone. When all of my charges were added up, I was facing a total of 101 years in prison. A misdemeanor-level offense somehow morphed into a possible century-long sentence.
But remember: The J6ers are totally not political prisoners! The government offered me a plea deal to agree to 9 to 11 years in federal prison for my heinous, victimless fence-push. Facing such ridiculous terms, I had no choice but to go to trial.
The situation becomes even more laughable when you consider Arthur Camacho: A leftist pro-Hamas rioter who punched and slammed a female Capitol Police Officer against a wall at the DNC. This was the same city, same police force, same prosecutor (Matthew Graves), and the conduct far worse than anything almost any J6er did.
The one difference: he was not a Trump supporter. Was Camacho facing decades in prison for this assault? Of course not. He was given only 48 hours of community service. Does anyone still doubt the J6ers political prisoners?
As a law student, I did everything I could to help my lawyer. However, it’s really hard to conduct a trial from a jail cell. My lawyer told my father afterwards that he had never worked so closely with a client before. Together, we managed to beat 5 out of 9 charges at a bench trial.
However, the media made sure to conceal the fact that I beat most of my charges. You certainly won’t find that fact on any mainstream news article. It was a hard-fought victory, but bittersweet. I was so close to becoming an attorney, having been accepted to the University of Alabama on scholarship. I know I would’ve been a great, patriotic lawyer who fought tirelessly for his clients.
Now, I may never have that chance, and it breaks my heart. While awaiting trial, my co-defendants and I were slapped with multiple superseding indictments, while I languished in jail during COVID restrictions.
I spent time in six different facilities. I endured 23-24-hour lockdowns, in places like Northern Neck, the D.C. Jail, and US Penitentiary Lewisburg.
I experienced abuse in a number of forms. For example: The guards in Northern Neck left me handcuffed and locked in a room for hours.
They later admitted in front of other inmates that it was done as a joke. To say the whole experience was a nightmare would be a massive understatement. All told I would spend almost 3 years waiting for trial – a trial in which I was acquitted of most of my trumped-up charges. When good time was calculated in for my 3 year sentence, I had actually had spent nearly 2 months extra in jail.
In the lead-up to my sentencing, I prayed every night. I asked God to free me (if it was in His plan). I also fasted twice, doing two separate 3-day fasts, joined by fellow J6er Bryan Smith.
His solidarity meant the world to me, especially considering how much food means in jail. It’s one of the only pleasures you have left when you’re incarcerated.
I wholeheartedly believe it was the power of those prayers and fasts that led the judge to show me mercy. Prayer is powerful, and when two or three gather in His name, it becomes even more powerful.
As I look back on what has happened, the weight of my losses feel unbearable. I had a dream to attend law school, one that I worked tirelessly to achieve.
Now that dream is shattered, and I find myself forced to move back in with my parents, grappling with the reality of what could have been. I lost almost 3 years of my precious youth.
My name has been slandered and dragged through the mud. My family has had to move into a smaller house.
The emotional toll of this experience has been profound. I struggle with depression as I confront the possibility that I may never get the chance to pursue a legal career. It pains me to ask for assistance, as I strongly dislike asking for charity. However, you have all shown how generous and compassionate you can be, and I truly need the help.
As one of the many J6 defendants who have been persecuted by this administration, I ask for your aid.
Your funds will help me seek retribution for what I have endured.
Donations will assist me in filing lawsuits against the jails that abused us J6ers and it will also help me get back on my feet. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated. I would like to thank the God-fearing Patriot community for their support. God Bless America and Trump 2024!”
If you would like to support James, you can donate to his GiveSendGo here.
