Politico: “One of the Proud Boys arrested for participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol told a court Wednesday that he was duped by President Donald Trump’s ‘deception’ and ‘acted out of the delusional belief’ that he was responding patriotically to the commander in chief. Dominic Pezzola, who was indicted last month and charged with conspiracy, urged a federal court to grant his release pending trial, emphasizing that his involvement in the Proud Boys was recent and minimal and that he has no other criminal history. But the most notable part of Pezzola’s 15-page motion for leniency was his thorough repudiation of Trump.”

“‘[D]efendant acted out of the delusional belief that he was a ‘patriot’ protecting his country … He was responding to the entreaties of the-then commander in chief, President Trump,’ Pezzola’s lawyer argued in the filing. ‘The President maintained that the election had been stolen and it was the duty of loyal citizens to ‘stop the steal.’ Admittedly there was no rational basis for the claim, but it is apparent defendant was one of millions of Americans who were misled by the President’s deception.’ Pezzola is not the first charged in the Capitol insurrection to cite Trump’s calls as the motivation for marching on and breaching the Capitol. But he’s among those facing the most serious charges, along with several other members of the Proud Boys, in connection with Jan. 6.”