California activist charged in D.C. Capitol riot is honored by Sacramento GOP group

Jorge Aaron Riley, the Republican activist who is one of three Sacramento-area residents facing charges in the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, was honored this week by the Sacramento Republican Assembly for his long service on the group’s board.

Riley, who won his release from custody last month in Washington, D.C., is featured in a Facebook post saying he was “honored by the Sacramento Republican Assembly (SRA) for serving 11 years on the executive board including being elected to 6 terms as president!”

“Jorge is the first SRA president to tie the previous record set by SRA Founding President Greg Hardcastle,” the post states. “Local SRA and California Republican Assembly (CRA) leaders gathered to pay tribute to Jorge for both his service on the SRA as well as the CRA board of directors.”

Riley is pictured in the post by California Republican Assembly national committeeman Bill Cardoza holding a trophy and standing alongside other Republican activists at a meeting Tuesday evening at Perko’s Cafe Bradshaw.

Riley, a former president of the Sacramento Republican Assembly and corresponding secretary of the California Republican Assembly, resigned from the CRA after his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection became known.

Sacramento Republican Assembly President Justin Hardcastle said the group does not condone Riley’s actions but are trying to help him through his troubles and wanted to honor him for his past service.

He added that Riley is no longer a member of the organization.

CRA spokesman Craig DeLuz confirmed the honor had been bestowed, but distanced the state organization from the Sacramento chapter’s action even though Cardoza’s name appeared Friday on the state group’s board of directors listing.

“All I can say is we’ve talked to the leadership of that chapter and we’re just kind of concerned about it,” he said.

“As a political organization, we want to set an example for how you engage in political discourse, and Jorge’s actions were not how we believe you should be engaging in political discourse,” DeLuz added. “It’s one of the reasons he was asked to resign from the CRA.”

DeLuz noted that Riley had been president of the Sacramento chapter for six years, “which is probably longer than any other chapter member, and a number of members are personal friends of his.”

“While they take issue with kind of what he did, they wanted to recognize him for the positive work that he did do,” DeLuz said, adding, “He is no longer a member of the California Republican Assembly.”

Riley, 41, was indicted Feb. 3 by a federal grand jury in Washington on charges of obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

He pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for his next court hearing April 21.

Riley was released from custody over the objections of prosecutors, who noted he posted more than 150 messages, photos and videos on social media of his actions on Jan. 6, and that he appeared in a video interview boasting of having pushed his way into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.

One post from him read, “Hey We’re storming the Capitol ... what are you doing?”

That post figured among the 98 comments posted on a Facebook page Friday touting Riley’s award.

This story was originally published March 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM.