Jan. 6 Defendant Says He Only Entered Capitol to Impress 'Girlfriend'

Lawyers for a man who traveled who pleaded guilty to entering the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection have claimed he did it to impress a woman he wanted to date, court documents show.

Scott Columbus, 40, from upstate New York, traveled to the Capitol after a woman he was interested in promised to be his girlfriend in exchange for a ride to Washington, D.C. Court documents state that he had never traveled out of New York state before being encouraged by Renee Fatta, who pleaded guilty to one count of parading, picketing or demonstrating in a Capitol building in mid-2023.

In September, Columbus pleaded guilty to violent entry of a Capitol building after he was identified by authorities from several pictures and videos, at least one of which was posted on social media by Fatta.

A sentencing memorandum from the District Court of Columbia said the pair traveled to Maryland the day before the riots before catching a train to Washington, D.C., on January 6. They entered the Capitol with a large group of rioters who had breached a door on the inner north side of the building.

Columbus was inside the building for three minutes and stayed in the vicinity of the building for 30 minutes afterward. The pair were caught on surveillance cameras smiling, with Fatta appearing to dance while holding a marijuana vape pen, according to documents.

He and Fatta only left the building "once officers began deploying pepper spray on the crowd," according to a criminal complaint.

Columbus's lawyer, Lana Manitta, said that her client has autism and paranoid schizophrenia, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression disorders that contributed to his actions on the day. She argued that his conditions made him susceptible to being "taken advantage of" and that he has a "very difficult time discerning people's true motives and navigating interpersonal relationships".

"Ms. Fatta is not the first so-called friend to use Mr. Columbus and ultimately reject him after he has served some purpose," a court document issued by Manitta reads.

Defense lawyers also argued that he would have "left immediately but there was simply no way he would have left without Ms. Fatta due to his own insecurity as well as a sense of obligation to his 'girlfriend'." Newsweek has contacted Columbus's lawyer Lana Manitta for comment via email.

A sentencing memorandum said Columbus "minimized his actions and personal agency in the decision to enter the Capitol" after he claimed he was "pushed in" by the crowd. They cited his "attempts to mislead FBI agents" as a factor in giving him a "lengthy period of supervision" to deter him from reoffending.

Columbus' lawyer had argued he should be given a probation period of "no longer than 24 months". Prosecutors requested a sentence of three years' probation and 60 days of home confinement, plus a $500 fine.

Correction, 1/30/24, 4 p.m. ET: This article was updated to say prosecutors requested a sentence of three years' probation and 60 days of home confinement, plus a $500 fine. It previously said Scott Columbus had been sentenced.