In February, I wrote about a particularly bad day for crime in Washington, D.C. One of the criminal acts I noted was the vandalism of the cases holding the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives. Two people poured red powder on them, supposedly as a climate-related protest.
According to the Department of Justice, they caused more than $50,000 of damage to the National Archives, and the rotunda where the documents are displayed was closed for four days while cleanup efforts were under way. The National Archives building is one of the most popular sites to see when traveling in Washington. It’s tragic that some people might not have been able to see the country’s founding documents because the building was closed on account of vandalism.
One of the perpetrators, 27-year-old Jackson Green, also vandalized a memorial in the National Gallery of Art last year. The other, 35-year-old Donald Zepeda, blocked a roadway with other climate activists. Both were given leniency before, but no longer. Michael Auslin writes at the Hill:
After initially being charged with a misdemeanor, the two now face felony charges of destruction of government property. Moreover, Green was ordered held in the D.C. jail until his trial, and Zepeda, who previously had blocked the George Washington Parkway, was fitted with an ankle monitor. Most importantly, if found guilty, they could face up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Auslin notes that one of the advocates for severe punishment for Green and Zepeda was the archivist of the United States, Colleen Shogan. The day of the vandalism, Shogan said, “The National Archives Rotunda is the sanctuary for our nation’s founding documents. They are here for all Americans to view and understand the principles of our nation. We take such vandalism very seriously and we will insist that the perpetrators be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Auslin writes, “She also immediately moved to increase security inside the Rotunda and institute new methods of responding to such attacks.”
It’s a relief to know that the Declaration and the Constitution are in good hands.