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Prosecutors say Chansley has expressed his intention to return to Washington for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden – and his pending criminal case is unlikely to be a deterrent.
“Chansley told the FBI before his arrest that he ‘will always be fine, you better believe it,’” prosecutors said in the 18-page dossier. “His status as a symbol of the insurgency, his actions inside the Capitol building and his manifest disregard for orders inside aimed at disrupting official congressional procedures, demonstrate the danger his release would represent.
“At this point in our nation’s history,” they continued, “it is hard to imagine a greater risk to our democracy and our community than the armed revolution that Chansley has symbolized.
Chansley was indicted Monday by a Washington grand jury on six counts, including two felonies: obstructing law enforcement during civil unrest and obstructing proceedings in Congress. The remaining counts are misdemeanors, although the indictment at one point claims Chansley was engaged in “an effort to prevent the electoral college votes from being certified.”
While the dossier focuses on Chansley, it also clearly articulates the government’s perspective on an ongoing ‘insurgency movement’ that is reaching a potential climax as Biden’s inauguration approaches. The file cites media and FBI reports detailing planned armed protests in all 50 state capitals and Washington DC in the run-up to inauguration day.
Although the government now describes Chansley’s involvement in the Capitol riots last week as part of a large and sinister attempt to overthrow the government, he has not been charged with any of the most serious crimes linked to such an effort – like sedition or insurrection. But FBI and Justice Department officials stressed that more serious charges were on the horizon, after an initial round of less serious charges were laid to ensure they rounded up some of the offenders. the most dangerous.
While prosecutors recommend that Chansley be detained pending trial, the court’s pre-trial services agency has recommended that he be released with conditions on his movements to reduce the risk of him posing a threat while that he’s waiting for his day in court. But the government said the evidence it found made the recommendation unwise.
“Media and FBI reports detailed carefully planned insurgency attempts across the country in the coming weeks in all state capitals, including the capital of Arizona,” prosecutors said. “As he admitted, and as corroborated by the evidence in his car, Chansley expected to go after his interview with the FBI (if he had not been arrested).
The government also described Chansley’s release as particularly risky due to his association with Qanon, which he called a “dangerous anti-government conspiracy” who treated him like a leader, helped him travel “off the grid” and “to raise funds quickly through unconventional means. Prosecutors also note that he is a “repeat drug user” who is “incapable of appreciating reality.”
A Phoenix federal magistrate is due to hold a bail hearing for Chansley on Friday afternoon.
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