4 years after Capitol attack, Jan. 6 cases hang in the balance with Trump pardons on the horizon

More than 1,500 people have been charged with crimes tied to the Jan. 6, 2021 , Capitol riot.

The Constitution gives presidents unfettered power to pardon any federal crime.

Many of those who breached the Capitol four years ago could see their convictions wiped clean.

The majority of the defendants were charged with nonviolent misdemeanor crimes.

The process for requesting clemency remains uncertain, and it's not expected to begin until Trump is inaugurated.

Former prosecutor: Pardons would be "a real affront to the victims" of the riot, including police officers, members of Congress and their staff.

Federal judges overseeing the Jan. 6 cases in Washington , D.C. , are grappling with the uncertainty.

"If you look at the publicly available facts presented in court, the facts fit the crimes," she said. Leavitt , Trump 's spokeswoman, alleged the media "still refuses to report the truth about what happened that day ," and criticized the work of the congressional committee that investigated the attack. "The American people did not fall for the Left 's fear mongering over January 6th . They reelected President Trump by a resounding margin because they want him to unify our country through success, and that's exactly what he will do," Leavitt added..