Florida Jan. 6 rioter known as "Lectern Guy" files to run for office
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The viral photo of Adam Johnson carrying Nancy Pelosi's lectern during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
A man known as "Lectern Guy" for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot filed to run for local office in Florida on Tuesday, exactly five years after the insurrection.
Why it matters: Adam Johnson's run for the Tampa Bay-area Manatee County Commission is the latest example of the narrative shift around Jan. 6 during the second Trump administration.
- Johnson is among the former defendants who once expressed remorse over their involvement in the riot but have since shifted to embracing their notoriety.
- And this week, the White House launched a website casting defendants as unfairly maligned patriots.
State of play: Johnson, 41, on Tuesday joined a crowded race for the commission's District 6 at-large seat, currently held by business owner Jason Bearden, a Republican, per campaign documents.
- Bearden will not seek reelection, the Observer reported this week. Johnson is one of five candidates who have filed to take his seat.
The intrigue: Why Johnson decided to run, and what he hopes to accomplish if elected, were unclear Wednesday.
- He did not return multiple requests for comment, including phone calls, messages and a visit to his Parrish home.
Flashback: A Getty Images photo of Johnson at the Capitol hoisting U.S. Rep. and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern went viral in the days after the 2021 Capitol attack.
- It also contributed to his arrest two days later by federal authorities, who cited the photo in documents charging Johnson with three crimes stemming from his participation in the riot.
- In a deal with prosecutors, Johnson pleaded guilty to a charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
- A judge sentenced him to 75 days in jail and a year of probation, plus fines and restitution.
Last year, he became one of 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by President Trump.
Between the lines: Johnson initially showed remorse, telling a federal judge at his 2022 sentencing hearing that he was "ashamed to have been a part of it."
- Since then, he's made his infamy central to his identity, going by the username @lecternleader on X, where he's amassed more than 120,000 followers. The viral image is his profile picture.
- He's also cashing in on his story, from merchandise like a $200 lectern embossed with his silhouette and a $5 koozie printed with "Lectern lifting fuel," to preorders for his book, called "Taking a Stand."
Friction point: Johnson made headlines last year when he sued six Manatee County commissioners after they declined to seek legal fees in a failed lawsuit stemming from a reduction of the county's wetlands protections.
- The lawsuit is ongoing. Johnson's attorney in that case, Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade, said Wednesday he wasn't aware that his client had filed to run for the same body he was suing.