Jacob Chansley, a.k.a. the QAnon Shaman, has been released from federal prison early and moved to a halfway house in Arizona. Thanks to his outlandish outfit and memorable photos of him wielding the American flag like a spear, Chansley was practically the face of the January 6 riot. However, during his trial he denounced Trump and publicly called on the former president to take care of “all the jackasses” he “f*cked up.” Chansley also denounced QAnon, but a judge did not buy his change of heart and sentenced the shaman to 41 months in prison.
As for why Chansley is getting released after 27 months, former New York prosecutor Mark Bederow told Insider that that federal sentences getting cut short is normal.
“It’s relatively common for an eligible offender to have a federal sentence moderately reduced before an offender completes the full term of a prison sentence,” Bederow said.
Chansley’s former attorney also praised the decision in a statement to Insider:
“It is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law-abiding and enriching life.”
Watkins wrote that he attributes the early release of Chansley — who walked the Capitol building wearing a horned headdress and paint — “to be a function of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons evaluating Mr. Chansley’s eligibility for release based on the plea agreement, the sentence imposed, the model behavior of Mr. Chansley while confined, the programs he completed and a host of factors routinely taken into consideration by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.”
What isn’t the cause of Chansley’s release is Tucker Carlson’s January 6 footage. The Fox News host aired heavily edited footage of the Capitol attack where he attempted to portray the MAGA rioters as peaceful sightseers. Even Carlson’s network colleagues weren’t buying the narrative, but Elon Musk was on board. The Twitter CEO called for the QAnon Shaman’s release on Twitter while sharing Carlson’s footage. But in the end, Chansley got out of prison through the normal process of good behavior.
(Via Insider)