Jacob Chansley, who, with his face painted red, white and blue underneath a horned headdress, was a symbol of the Jan. 6. 2021, Capitol incursion, wants what he says is due him.
Chansley, who became known as the “QAnon Shaman,” said the FBI confiscated his headdress and has not returned it, The Daily Beast reported Saturday.
“They’re keeping it like it’s evidence. The case is over, so there’s no reason for them to continue holding onto it,” he told the outlet, noting that if the law was applied to him, it should be applied to the FBI as well.
“It’s rather upsetting that they’re not doing what the government is supposed to do and returning the property,” Chansley said.
He said he had the headdress in a car when he was driving home from D.C. to Arizona, and it was with him when he turned himself in.
“They gave my mom the car back shortly after the investigation was over, but they refused to give me my headdress and my staff and my phone and my pants,” Chansley said. “So what’s up with that?”
Although the image of Chansley wearing his headdress is an iconic part of the Capitol incursion, he said he wore it long before that day.
“Dude, I’ve been dressing that way for over 10 years,” he said.
Should he get his headdress back?
Chansley has filed as a candidate in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District race, but he said he’s not sure if he would wear the headdress while campaigning.
“There’s been mixed emotions about it. People say that I’m not being taken seriously. Other people are like, ‘Oh, I fricking love it!’” he told The Daily Beast.
Jacob Chansley @AmericaShaman who served time for his role in #Jan6, is running for #Congress in Arizona. Pressed on his Capitol presence on @CNN, he said, “There’s a lot of people in Congress that probably shouldn’t be in there…That’s why I’m running. “https://t.co/HgZZNBbON8
— Michael Smerconish (@smerconish) November 18, 2023
Chansley is seeking to run as a Libertarian, according to the Arizona Republic.
In November 2021, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison. He served about 27 months and was released in March.
As a felony convict, Chansley cannot vote in the election. Arizona law allows felons to hold public office once they have served their required time or paid their required fines, according to Newsweek.
In August, he told Newsweek he was dismayed over the indictment of former President Donald Trump on federal election interference charges.
“I feel the notion of a Trump indictment related to the events of January 6th is further evidence that federal agencies have been corrupt and weaponized for decades by the D.C. Uniparty,” Chansley said.
“Nothing surprises me anymore. My sympathies go out to Trump for everything he has endured for the American people due to the corruption in D.C,” he said.
