'QAnon Shaman' who stormed US Capitol eyes run for Congress

A rioter whose bare chest and horned fur headgear made him the face of the 2021 assault on the US Capitol has filed paperwork signaling his interest in running for Congress. Images of “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley were splashed across front pages worldwide as he appeared shirtless in the Senate, face painted and carrying a bullhorn and US flag attached to a spear. He filed a “candidate statement of interest” last Thursday informing Arizona election authorities that he is considering running for the Libertarian Party in 2024, in a seat freed up by a retiring Republican. Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, was among the first of hundreds of rioters to break into the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He admitted a single felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and was jailed for 41 months, although he was released early, in May of this year. The court heard how, after entering the chamber, Chansley took then-vice president Mike Pence’s seat on the dais, leaving behind a message saying: “It’s only a matter of time. Justice is coming.” In a long, rambling statement to the court, Chansley praised the judge and made references to Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha and US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “Men of honour admit when they’re wrong,” Chansley told the court. “I was wrong for entering the Capitol. I had no excuse.” Federal prosecutors had sought as much as 51 months for Chansley, a promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theories who had travelled the country appearing at rallies in support of former president Trump, who is running for reelection. Chansley was one of more than 1,100 people charged over the January 6 attack, which succeeded in delaying Biden’s certification for several hours. His lawyer Albert Watkins said his client had long suffered from diagnosed mental illness.