Nov 12, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Jan. 6 rioter dubbed "QAnon Shaman" plans to run for U.S. Congress

Rebecca Falconer

Jacob Chansley, known as the "QAnon Shaman," inside the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jacob Chansley, who rose to notoriety as the "QAnon Shaman" following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, plans to run for Congress as a Libertarian candidate in the 2024 general election.

The big picture: Chansley, who became one of the faces of the attack due to his distinctive horned headdress and face paint that he wore on Jan. 6, 2021, filed paperwork on Thursday declaring his interest in running as a candidate in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) has said she won't seek re-election in the district.

Flashback: Chansley was sentenced in November 2021 to 41 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding in relation to the Capitol attack.

His lawyers said during court proceedings that he had disavowed both QAnon conspiracy theories and former President Trump.
Chansley was released to a Phoenix halfway house last March.

Of note: "Arizona law prohibits people convicted of felonies from voting until they have completed their sentence and had their civil rights restored," per AZ Central.

However, the U.S. Constitution does not bar convicted felons from holding federal office.

Go deeper: The Capitol siege's QAnon roots

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Jan. 6 rioter dubbed "QAnon Shaman" plans to run for U.S. Congress

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