Judge Sends U.S. Capitol Rioter to Jail for Broadcasting Mike Lindell’s Plot Symposium, Breaching Internet Ban Rules

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The unusual turn of events means Doug Jensen of Iowa returns to prison just seven weeks after his release. He was arrested shortly after the January 6 uprising and was kept in prison until July, when a federal judge released him at his home under strict conditions.

Those terms included a ban on using the internet – to keep Jensen out of the QAnon plot, which he previously admitted to investigators was the reason he violated the Capitol. But when court officials made their first unannounced visit to check on Jensen’s condition at his home last month, they found him in his garage, using a cell phone to broadcast a right-wing newspaper.

According to court documents, Jensen admitted to court officials that he also used the phone to broadcast a conspiracy-filled symposium hosted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. who has repeatedly pushed debunked claims and demented theories about aliens. countries exchanging millions of votes to steal elections from Trump.

District Judge Timothy Kelly said in a hearing Thursday that he released Jensen in July because Jensen claimed he had “turned a corner” and disowned conspiracy theories.

“But it is now clear that he did not experience the transformation that his attorney previously described, and that he continues to research the conspiracy theories that led to his reckless driving on January 6,” Kelly continued, who was nominated by Trump in 2017 for the DC District Court. “I see no reason to believe he got the wake-up call he needs.”

The case raises questions about the continued dangerousness of the Capitol rioters and right-wing extremists. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly warned that these Americans are still radicalized by conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Lindell and Trump himself still peddle these lies, which flourish in conservative circles online.

“I think it’s probably a logical inference,” said Kelly, “that there is no condition that will ensure that Mr. Jensen will not pose a danger to the safety of the community.”

The case against Jensen involves one of the most viral scenes in the attack – United States Capitol Police Officer Goodman artfully leading Jensen and other rioters away from the unguarded Senate Chamber. Goodman received a Congressional Gold Medal for saving lives and keeping calm as Jensen and others chased him through the winding Capitol complex.
Prosecutors charged Jensen with seven federal crimes, including crimes such as bringing a knife into the Capitol grounds. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers claim he never physically attacked Goodman. He was charged with assaulting or hindering the officer.

At Thursday’s hearing, Jensen’s lawyers called on the judge to impose a brief jail term but not revoke his bail indefinitely. The attorney also said Jensen’s attachment to conspiracy theories was like “addiction” or “coercion,” a comparison prosecutors rejected.

“At first glance, it sounds a bit Orwellian. A man sitting in his garage broadcasting the information on the Internet… now the government wants to jail him,” Jensen’s lawyer Christopher Davis said.

“Orwellian aside,” Davis continued, “he was wrong, and he doesn’t deny it.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

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