Jacob Chansley, also known as the “QAnon Shaman,” is in the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached by rioters during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. They shouted “freedom”.
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“QAnon shaman” Jacob Chansley will regain the makeshift spear and horned helmet he carried when he stormed the U.S. Capitol with other Trump supporters on January 6, 2021. federal judge Monday’s ruling.
this Ministry of Justice Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in an order in federal court in Washington, D.C., that the failure to show why his property was still needed made him the iconic face of the Capitol riots.
“Because the government has not determined that the items are still needed as evidence and is not seeking to forfeit them, the court will grant Mr. Chansley’s motion,” Lamberth wrote.
The U.S. Justice Department said last month it wanted to preserve Chansley’s estate because he has since challenged his conviction and sentence despite expressing remorse for his criminal conviction.
“In other words, the government wants to ensure the ultimate outcome of the appeals process in this and other cases,” Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, wrote in a July 12 court filing.
Lamberth is unconvinced by this argument.
“Even if the government might be required to denounce Mr. Chansley’s crimes, the government has not explained why his property is needed,” the judge wrote in Monday’s order.
“Due to the overwhelming video and photographic evidence of Mr. Chansley’s conduct, his property would be of little use to the investigation or prosecution, and even returning the property would satisfy ‘the legitimate interests of the United States,'” he wrote.
Chansley was among the first to riot among thousands who stormed and occupied the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress convened for a joint session to certify President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over then-President Donald Trump one of those.
Thugs of Trump supporters forced lawmakers to flee the Senate and House chambers, delaying the confirmation process for hours.
Chansley led chants on the Senate floor and sat in the chair where then-Vice President Mike Pence presided.
Chansley’s striking appearance quickly made him a symbol of the uprising. His attire, combined with his support for the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory, earned him the spiritual nickname.
“He was just like thousands of others that day,” Lamberth wrote in Monday’s order. “But he stands out around the world because of his ‘unmistakable dress’.”
The U.S. Department of Justice said in the criminal complaint against Chansley that he was “dressed in horns, a bearskin headdress, red, white and blue face paint, shirtless and wearing tan pants.” Carry “a spear about 6 feet long with an American flag tied under the blade.”
Chansley was one of the first rioters charged by the Justice Department, which has since make accusations against nearly 1,500 defendants.
Chansley later pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing official proceedings and was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021.
He was granted early release in March 2023 and moved into his mother’s house.
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