Bradley Rukstales, 53, of Inverness, Illinois, a former CEO of a data analytics firm, describes himself as a “peaceful and law-abiding citizen” who condemns the “violence and destruction that took place in Washington” on January 6, 2021.
But surveillance camera footage show him throwing a chair at police officers inside the Capitol, as a member of a mob chasing the officers down a stairwell.
He described his actions that day as “civic engagement.”
Rukstales explained he rioted because he was “frustrated … with our country’s political discourse.” He called the January 6 rally to overturn the election “an important constitutional moment in our republic’s history.”
The judge decided to put him in civic housing for 30 days (story here). He’s getting off easy; prosecutors dropped several other charges in exchange for a plea deal. But it’s also costing him in other ways; his own daughter condemned his actions, and his company fired him (see story here). And, of course, now that he’s a convicted criminal, good luck getting another decent job.
I think what makes his story especially intriguing is his mind-blowing self-righteousness. This man is truly clueless. What he did on January 6 was an act of domestic terrorism, an attack on our constitution, and the antithesis of civil discourse; it violated the civil rights of every one of the 81 million Americans who voted for Biden.
He just doesn’t get it. Maybe a 30-day timeout will help him see the light?
Photo below: Rukstales (circled in red) in the Capitol, holding a chair in surveillance footage. Is there any way he could possibly not have realized what he was doing was wrong?
