In a pre-sentencing memo filed Monday by Andrew Stewart, defense lawyer for Pennsylvania Capitol rioter Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter who pleaded guilty to various felonies after being caught on camera beating a Capitol cop over the head with a fire extinguisher during the MAGA insurrection, Stewart writes that Sanford hired a cult deprogramming expert to talk him out of believing fat former President Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen.

“Mr Sanford is truly remorseful for the stress and anxiety that he has caused for his family and the events that he has missed. After his arrest, Mr Sanford sought mental health treatment and participated in individual and family therapy until his incarceration. This therapy helped Mr Sanford and his family deal with the anxiety of the pending case, but it did not give him real insight into his conduct on January 6. In August 2022, he began to work with an individual that specializes in cult deprograming. Even after he was incarcerated, he participated in regular discussions designed to challenge his ideology and belief structure, then help him understand how and why he developed the beliefs that led him to make the decisions that he did on January 6. During this process, Mr Sanford was confronted with facts about the ‘stolen election’ conspiracy theory among others and how psychological manipulation is used to indoctrinate the followers of a conspiracy. Mr Sanford learned how mental health problems, whether diagnosed or not, cause isolation which, when paired with belief in a conspiracy, gradually cause more isolation,” wrote Stewart in the memo.