She stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Then Gov. Ron DeSantis made her a state regulator

Source: USA Today

She stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Then Gov. Ron DeSantis made her a state regulator

A USA TODAY review of videos and an interview with a close associate show Sandra Atkinson was inside the Capitol. Did Gov. Ron DeSantis know?

Will Carless
USA TODAY
Published 5:23 a.m. ET May 23, 2023 | Updated 2:00 p.m. ET May 23, 2023

It was Jan. 6, 2021, and a group of die-hard Republicans from Okaloosa County, Florida, had traveled 15 hours north to Washington, for a rally where President Donald Trump urged his followers to try to stop the certification of the election.

After the rally, as a crowd marched toward the Capitol, some of the Florida contingent peeled off. But Sandra Atkinson – who had just been elected chair of the county's Republican Party – kept marching. The walk would put her in the middle of an insurrection, and eventually, of the dilemma now facing likely presidential contender Gov. Ron DeSantis.

According to a USA TODAY review of multiple videos from the day and an interview with a close Republican Party associate, Atkinson proceeded to the Capitol and through the doors. The same kind of activity has led to criminal charges for many who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6 – charges for unlawful entry, picketing or other nonviolent acts.

Two months later, Atkinson's name emerged in bold type, in an announcement from DeSantis. She was being given a new job: The governor was appointing her to a statewide regulatory board.

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Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/05/23/ron-desantis-florida-appointed-sandra-atkinson/70245853007/