The lawyer for an Arizona man who participated in the US Capitol insurrection while wearing face paint, shirtless and a furry horned hat offers to welcome his client, Jacob Chansley, testify in the next ex-president Donald Trump impeachment trial. Lawyer Albert Watkins said it is important for senators to hear the voice of someone who was instigated by Trump.
Watkins said his client was previously “terribly in love” with Trump, but now he is disappointed after Trump’s refusal to grant forgiveness to Chansley and others who participated in the insurrection. “He felt betrayed by the president,” said Watkins.
Watkins said he had not spoken to any member of the Senate since the announcement of his offer to have Chansley – aka Jake Angeli – testify at the trial, which is scheduled to begin the week of February 8.
The words of Trump supporters accused of participating in the riot may end up being used against him in his impeachment trial. Chansley and at least four other people facing federal charges stemming from the mutiny suggested they were taking orders from the now former president.
Chansley, who calls himself “QAnon Shaman” and has long participated in Trump’s rallies, has not yet filed an appeal for accusations of civil disorder, obstruction of an official process, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, demonstration in a Capitol building and others counts. He is due to be sued on Friday in Washington.
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In seeking his detention pending trial, prosecutors said Chansley entered the Capitol carrying a US flag attached to a wooden mast with a spear and ignored an officer ‘s orders to leave. Prosecutors said Chansley entered the Senate chamber with a group of about 25 protesters, posed for pictures on the dais where then Vice President Mike Pence had been minutes before, and left a note that said, “It’s just a matter of time. Justice is coming. ”
The next day, prosecutors said Chansley called the FBI office in Washington, admitted his involvement and described Pence as a “trafficker in child trafficking”, but said he did not intend the ticket to be a threat. When asked about the meaning of the note, he launched a “long diatribe” describing current and past lawmakers, including Pence, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden as “infiltrators involved in various types of crime”.
Chansley told investigators that he came to the Capitol “at the request of the president that all ‘patriots’ go to DC on January 6,” according to court records.
Prosecutors said Chansley is a “self-proclaimed leader” in the QAnon conspiracy theory movement. Images of Chansley shirtless invading the Capitol wearing horns, a coyote tail headdress and face paint, carrying a megaphone and a spear, quickly went viral on social media.
Erin Donaghue contributed to this report.