On December 4, 2025, after living in Poland for four years and seven months, Chris O’Neill finally made his way back to the United States. At a welcome home party hosted by the Conservative Group in Delaware, he expressed, “For me, the events of January 6, 2021, showed that democracy in America still exists.”
O’Neill was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with eight counts, including the most serious charge of “attacking police officers with a dangerous weapon,” for his participation in the defense of democracy protest held in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. However, a Polish court rejected the U.S. Department of Justice’s request for extradition on June 13, 2023. On January 20, 2025, former President Trump issued an executive order pardoning all individuals convicted in relation to the January 6, 2021 Capitol protest. O’Neill received his pardon certificate from Trump on May 13, 2025.
Born in the United States, O’Neill holds dual American and Polish citizenship. In the 1980s, he first visited Poland and witnessed the breakthrough of the solidarity movement under the authoritarian regime. O’Neill received the highest honors from the Polish President for his involvement in anti-communist activities, including the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland and the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity.
During the gathering, O’Neill shared his experience at the Capitol building. He explained that he went to Washington not to storm the Capitol but because many people had legitimate doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. He wanted to listen to President Trump’s speech at the Ellipse lawn and then proceed to the Capitol in hopes that Senator Cruz’s proposal to postpone the certification of the election results for ten days for the review of fraud allegations would be endorsed.
On January 6, 2021, O’Neill drove to Virginia, then took the subway to Washington D.C. and got off near Pennsylvania Avenue. Due to arriving late, he missed Trump’s speech and went directly to the Capitol. Standing at the front, he witnessed the unfolding events. Police gathered behind bike rack barricades, with officers from higher vantage points firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd. The emotions of the crowd escalated as they pushed forward and eventually stormed the Capitol.
O’Neill explained why he disputed the charge of “attacking police officers with a dangerous weapon.” He found a video from the body-worn camera of Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges, confirming his lack of violent behavior.
Recalling the events, O’Neill mentioned the reinforcements from the Metropolitan Police Department, with some officers pushed through the crowd while others were stopped. “Hodges went alone through the crowd, clearing a path with his baton. The crowd was very dense, and one person in front of me suddenly moved, leaving me face-to-face with Hodges. To avoid being hit by his baton, I instinctively grabbed it and held it for three seconds until I found a way to release it. That’s how I ended up being accused and facing the possibility of 20 years in prison. I became a living example of weaponization by the FBI and DOJ under the Biden administration.”
O’Neill’s lawyer informed him that the Biden administration had attempted to extradite him back to the U.S. from Poland. However, Polish judges initially agreed to the extradition before realizing the baseless nature of the primary accusation.
He told the audience, “Defending our republic, defending our democracy sometimes requires action and sacrifice.” Due to his years in Poland, he understood the meaning of sacrifice. On December 3, 2025, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled the Polish Communist Party illegal and ordered its removal from the party register.
O’Neill considered himself lucky not to have been sentenced. In January 2021, he stayed in the U.S. to care for his mother with dementia and left for Poland once he found a live-in caregiver in April when the pandemic situation eased, thus avoiding arrest or imprisonment.
O’Neill thanked the Conservative Group in Delaware for their support, which awarded him the “Lifetime Conservatism Award” in 2023, despite his being in Poland at that time.
Finally, O’Neill announced the establishment of the “In Defense of Democracy” organization, recognizing those who fought for democracy in front of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by presenting them with medals in hopes that their efforts would be acknowledged.
“On January 6, I saw hope. I believe that democracy in America still exists because people are willing to take action rather than passively wait,” O’Neill said. “They believed then, and I still believe today, that there was likely fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which denied the will of American voters and caused them great suffering. It’s not about Trump; it’s about the fairness of the election, the core of our democratic experiment, and the lifeblood of our nation.”