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The lawyer representing the so-called “QAnon Shaman” who stormed the United States Capitol in a bizarre encounter says President Trump should forgive his client before he leaves office next week.
Lawyer Al Watkins said his client Jacob Chansley, 33, was acting at Trump’s invitation when he and others forced their way into the Capitol on January 6, as Congress began to officially count the votes of the Electoral College to certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
“A president’s words and invitation are meant to mean something,” Watkins said in a statement to the Kansas City Star.
Chansley “has taken President Trump’s countless messages seriously,” he added.
“Like tens of millions of other Americans, Chansley felt – for the first time in his life – as if his voice was being heard.
Chansley, who also goes by Jake Angeli or QAnon Shaman, went viral for his savage outfit during the riot, which included a furry horned hat and red, white and blue face paint.
The shirtless conspiracy theorist also brandished a spear with an American flag hanging from it as he performed on the dais of the US Senate.
“Her dress was in line with her long-standing shamanic beliefs,” her lawyer said.
Chansley surrendered on Saturday and faces charges of disorderly conduct, violent entry and illegal stay in tight spaces on the Capitol.
But Watkins said his client behaved in a “peaceful and docile manner” during the siege, which left five people dead, including a police officer.
“He was not armed. He was not violent. He was not destructive ”- and deserves the leniency of the outgoing Commander-in-Chief, the lawyer said.
“It would be appropriate and honorable for the President to forgive Mr. Chansley and other peaceful like-minded people who accepted the President’s invitation with honorable intentions,” Watkins said.
Meanwhile, Chansley is being held in federal lockdown in Phoenix, Arizona, as he awaits charges in Washington, DC for his role in the insurgency.
A judge recently ruled that Chansley should be allowed to obtain organic food according to his strict shaman diet behind bars after refusing to eat anything else.
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