U.S. Capitol Building | aoc.gov
U.S. Capitol Building | aoc.gov
Marketing consultancy Cogensia has dismissed CEO Bradley Rukstales after he was charged with illegally entering the Capitol Building.
Rukstales is regretful of his actions on Wednesday.
“In a moment of extremely poor judgment following the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, I followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside,” he said in a statement, according to WBEZ, an NPR station in Chicago.
“My decision to enter the Capitol was wrong, and I am deeply regretful to have done so. Without qualification and as a peaceful and law-abiding citizen, I condemn the violence and destruction that took place in Washington."
The former CEO was arrested and is facing charges of unlawful entry into the U.S. Capitol. Cognesia first put him on leave of absence before dismissing him.
"This decision was made because Rukstales' actions were inconsistent with the core values of Cogensia," said Joel Schiltz, senior vice president and chief operating officer who has been named acting CEO, USA Today reports. "Cogensia condemns what occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and we intend to continue to embrace the values of integrity, diversity and transparency in our business operations, and expect all employees to embrace those values as well."
Rukstales is a Trump supporter who has donated $2,600 to the Trump campaign and Republican candidates last year.
After the protests, more than 90 individuals were arrested in connection to their participation. The demonstrators disrupted the Capitol as the House and Senate had met for a joint session to count the Electoral College votes to officially confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Many people have been fired or have been forced to resign over their participation, including a West Virginia state representative, and several teachers.
Private employers are allowed to fire at-will employees for participating in the protests because the First Amendment only protects against government punishment of free speech.
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