McKean County woman found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges relating to 2021 Capitol breach

A McKean County woman who breached the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection that attempted to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election has been found guilty of federal charges.

Pauline Bauer, 55, of Kane, was found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges for her involvement.

Charges against her included obstruction of an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress; parading, demonstrating and picketing in a Capitol Building.

A criminal complaint against Bauer said she and William Blauser Jr., of Ludlow, McKean County, entered the Capitol together, taking photographs on their phones. In footage from inside the Capitol, the complaint said, Bauer could be heard talking about then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bauer was seen on footage standing about 30 feet from Pelosi’s office when she said, “Bring that [expletive] [expletive] out here now. Bring her out. Bring her out here. We’re coming in if you don’t bring her out here.”

Later, she was recorded saying, “You bring them out or we’re coming in. Bring them out now. They’re criminals. They need to hang.”

The Justice Department also reported that Bauer engaged in a confrontation when a Metropolitan Police Department officer tried to push her away from an area he was protecting.

She began screaming expletives at the officer, saying “You back up. Don’t even try.” and pushing the officer. A short time later, Bauer was physically removed from the Rotunda by Metropolitan officers in riot gear.

Bauer was arrested in May 2021 and chose to represent herself at her initial appearance hearing. She was initially released from custody on an unsecured bond, but was detained again that September for failing to follow conditions of her pre-trial release.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1,2023.

According to the Department of Justice, “In the 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 950 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.”