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'QAnon Shaman': Jacob Chansley, who led Capitol Hill riots, running for Arizona congress

'QAnon Shaman' aka Jacob Chansley submits application to run as a Libertarian in the 8th Congressional District of Arizona

By Web Desk
November 14, 2023
Jacob Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, inside the US Senate chamber after the US Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on Jan 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. — X/@winmcnamee
Jacob Chansley, known as the "QAnon Shaman," inside the US Senate chamber after the US Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on Jan 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. — X/@winmcnamee

Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," has announced his intention to run for Congress in Arizona, only months after being released from prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack—in which he was famously captured on camera walking around the Capitol building shirtless and sporting horns, as per the documents that have been filed, CNN reported.

Chansley submitted his application to run as a Libertarian in the 8th Congressional District of Arizona.

After more than five years in Congress, the lawmaker who presently occupies that position, Rep Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz), declared last month that she will not be seeking reelection.

Pictures showing Chansley's unusual appearance—he had the American flag painted on his face and was donning a horned fur hat—became inextricably linked to the attack on January 6.

Chansley was among the most identifiable faces of the Capitol attack on January 6. Three days after the incident in Arizona, he was taken into custody and charged. In the end, Chansley admitted his involvement in the attack and entered a guilty plea to one count of criminal obstruction of an official process. 

He received a 41-month jail term. He posted a message that said, "It's Only A Matter Of Time," on the Senate dais on January 6 and was observed shouting from the Senate galleries. 

Justice Will Win! District Court Judge Royce Lamberth referred to Chansley's behaviour as "horrific" throughout the sentencing process. Chansley declared he was not an insurrectionist even if he accepted that he was "wrong for entering the Capitol."

After completing 27 months in jail, Chansley was given an early release in March and placed in a halfway home. In May, he was allowed to leave the halfway house.

Politico reported that 57 people who participated in the January 6 events—either by storming the Capitol or by attending the Save America demonstration prior to the storming—have announced their intention to run for government in 2022.