The West Virginia lawmaker who live-streamed himself on Facebook storming the Capitol building is facing charges for entering a restricted area so he has decided to resign from his position.
The Republican Delegate, Darrick Evans, sent a letter to Governor Jim Justice notifying him of his intentions to step down, effective immediately.
After being arrested on Friday, Evans appeared before a judge in federal court. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in federal prison for entering a restricted area and disorderly conduct, both of which are misdemeanor charges.
In a statement, Evans said that he takes full responsibility for his actions and the best course of action would be for him to resign to “focus on my personal situation and those I love.”
He added that he regrets any “hurt, pain, or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians.”
“I hope this action I take today can remove any cloud of distraction from the state Legislature, so my colleagues can get to work in earnest building a brighter future for our state,” Evans said. “And more importantly, I hope it helps to begin the healing process, so we can all move forward and come together as ‘One Nation, Under God.”
In a video widely shared online, Evans is seen pushing his way through the Capitol building doorway chanting “Trump” along with the crowd. He then mills around the Capitol Rotunda, where many historic paintings and busts were later vandalized.
According to the charging documents, before Evans and the crowd busted into the building he posted a video to his social media saying, “They’re making an announcement right now: If Pence betrays us you better get your mind right because we’re storming that building.” He then laughs and says, “I’m just the messenger, so don’t be hating on me.”
Legislators from several other states traveled to Washington, D.C., to back President Trump and protest the counting of electoral votes that confirmed Joe Biden’s victory.
No other elected officials were reported to have been involved in the attack on the Capitol.
