The St. Louis-based attorney of Jacob Anthony Chansley, a.k.a. the shirtless and horn-adorned Capitol invasion participant Jake Angeli, wants his client to be pardoned by a failed steak salesman.
The failure in question, Donald Trump, gave Chansley and others—in the words of attorney Albert Watkins—an “invitation” to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.
In comments included in a report from regional outlet KMOV4, Watkins said it would be "appropriate and honorable" for Trump to pardon Chansley and others like him who had "accepted the president's invitation." Watkins, for reasons not entirely clear, also made a point to mention Chansley's purported fondness for organic food and yoga.
"Mr. Chansley is an American; he served honorably in the U.S. military," Watkins said. "He has zero criminal history. He is a lover of nature, routinely practices meditation, is an active practicer of yoga and eats only organic food. He took seriously the countless messages of President Trump. He believed in President Trump."
Earlier this week, an unsealed indictment revealed that the 33-year-old Chansley had been hit with additional charges including civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, and more.
Chansley, of course, is often—by way of misinformation and disinformation campaigns—inaccurately represented online as somehow involved with Trump-opposing activism efforts. In reality, however, he's known as a far-right QAnon conspiracy theory supporter who's believed to view the aforementioned failed steak salesman as some sort of savior figure.
Per a separate report from NPR, Chansley left a threatening note for VP Mike Pence during the Capitol invasion. The handwritten note, according to court documents, saw Chansley telling Pence that it was "only a matter of time … justice is coming." While Chansley later told federal investigators that the message wasn’t intended to be a threat, prosecutors "strongly" disagree.
