STRUCK DOWN

Judge Skewers ‘QAnon Shaman’ While Refusing to Vacate His Conviction

In his denial, a federal judge said Jacob Chansley was the “face of the riot” on Jan. 6, 2021.

A federal judge on Thursday denied Jacob Chansley, better known as the infamous “QAnon Shaman,” a request to reverse his guilty plea for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In his denial, Judge Royce Lamberth wrote that Chansley was “the face of the riot” and that recently emerged materials—like video shared by Tucker Carlson in March—actually made him wish he’d slapped Chansley with a harsher sentence than he did in Nov. 2021. The swift denial came less than a week after Chansley filed a motion to have his plea reversed. Chansley had previously filed to vacate or correct his sentence in April, which was also denied. Thursday’s ruling means Chansley, who gained notoriety after photos emerged of him being shirtless with a buffalo headdress on and a painted face, will maintain his guilty plea to a charge of obstructing Congress’ certification of the 2020 vote.