The so-called “QAnon Shaman,” who was seen at the Capitol siege clad in fur and face paint, is offering to testify at former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, his lawyer said.
Attorney Al Watkins, who represents 32-year-old Jacob Chansley, said his client is open to telling Congress that Trump incited him to break through law enforcement barriers and raid the Capitol.
“Mr. Chansley is available to respond to our nation’s highest elected officials as they propound questions seeking to elicit responses to whether Mr. Chansley believed the words of former President Trump,” Watkins said. “Successful prosecution of article of impeachment requires the voice of those incited.”
Chansley, who is also known as Jake Angeli, was one of the most prominent figures who stormed the Capitol. His picture was splashed across the internet, and days after the siege, he was arrested. He was charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors for his alleged wrongdoing.
Jacob Chansley
Soon after his arrest, his lawyer told the judge in his case that he hadn't eaten since he was taken into custody because he was not being provided organic food. The information was “deeply concerning,” the judge said, ordering his lawyer to work with the United States Marshals Service to mitigate the issue.
“He gets very sick if he doesn't eat organic food — literally will get physically sick,” said Martha Chansley, his mother.
Dozens of people have been arrested in the fallout from the riot, which left five people dead and several more wounded. The Capitol has been under intense security since the breach and is expected to be well-fortified going into Trump’s impeachment trial, should it occur.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia suggested a bipartisan push to censure the former president instead of carrying out a lengthy impeachment trial, although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made it clear that he intends to hold a trial in the Senate despite likely not having the votes to convict Trump.
