“QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley to plead guilty in Capitol riot case

The bare-chested man pictured with his face painted, wearing a horned helmet and howling in the Senate chamber during the insurrection on January 6th is expected to plead guilty Friday in federal court to charges stemming from his participation at the riot, according to a court filing.

Jacob Chansley, aka the “QAnon Shaman,” was charged with a six-count indictment that includes civil disorder, violent entry and disorderly conduct, as well as a felony count for obstruction of an official proceeding, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The details of Chansley’s plea agreement with the government, including which specific charges he is pleading guilty to, have not yet been made public.

In a statement, Chansley’s attorney, Albert Watkins, said his client no longer wants to be associated with the conspiracy theory QAnon: “Mr. Chansley, a long avowed and practicing Shaman, has repudiated the ‘Q’ previously assigned to him and requests future references to him be devoid of use of the letter ‘Q’.”

Watkins maintains that his client was “non-violent, peaceful and possessed of genuine mental health issues.” The judge ordered that Chansley submit for a psychological evaluation in order to determine whether or not he was fit to stand trial.

Chansley, 34, voluntarily called the FBI the day after the riot, according to the affidavit, and admitted to being the man in the photos that are now synonymous with the mayhem at the Capitol. He also told law enforcement that he came to D.C. with other “patriots” from Arizona, at the request of President Trump that all “patriots” come on January 6.  

Since his arrest, Chansley has made several attempts to be released from jail pending trial, and even successfully petitioned the court to move detention facilities in order to have access to organic foods in adherence to his shaman faith.

In an interview from jail in March, Chansley told 60 Minutes+ correspondent Laurie Segall that he did not think his actions on January 6 were an attack on the nation.

“No, they were not, ma’am. My actions were not an attack on this country. That is incorrect. That is inaccurate, entirely,” he said.

Chansley is one of nearly 600 defendants charged as a result of the Justice Department’s investigation in the Capitol riot.