QAnon Shaman’s Family Reportedly Urged Him Not to Plead Guilty, Believing Reinstated Trump Would Pardon Him

Sarah RumpfSep 3rd, 2021, 4:16 pm
 

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Jacob Chansley apparently doesn’t want to be called the “QAnon Shaman” anymore, but he was in the headlines again on Friday, and pretty much every news outlet did in fact refer to him with that moniker. And he didn’t want to spend any more time behind bars, but well, he’s not going to get his way on that issue either.

Chansley, one of the more memorable alleged participants in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol with his facepaint and fur hat with the giant horns, pled guilty to a felony during a virtual court hearing on Friday, with DC District Court Judge Royce Lamberth accepting the deal.

According to CNN, the plea agreement involves Chansley pleading guilty to one of the most serious out of the six charges filed against him. As part of the deal, the Department of Justice agreed to accept around 3.5 to 4.5 years in prison (out of a maximum 20 years) and $2,000 in restitution for damage caused to the Capitol (out of a maximum fine of up to $250,000). Chansley will also get credit for time already served.

Chansley’s attorney, Al Watkins, requested for his client to be released from jail prior to sentencing, a request which the DOJ opposed, as they have opposed his prior attempts to get his client released.

Watkins has argued for months that his client was “peaceful,” but DOJ prosecutors pointed to a threatening-sounding note Chansley left in the Senate chambers for Vice President Mike Pence and the spear-tipped flagpole he was carrying, which they considered a weapon.

Another interesting tidbit reported by CNN reporter Marshall Cohen: Chansley’s family members had urged him to reject the plea deal because “they believe Trump is going to be reinstated and then will grant him a pardon.”

This seems to have been inspired by a conspiracy theory popular among certain supporters of former President Donald Trump, that some sort of proof would magically appear that the 2020 election was fraudulent and he would be sworn back into office in August.

That did not happen in August, and it’s not going to happen in September, October, or any of the months after that. The U.S. Constitution has no mechanism to remove a president in such a manner, and before the end of his term on January 20, 2021, Trump pardoned exactly zero of those charged with participating in the Capitol riot.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.