Dubbed the "Q Anon Shaman," Navy veteran Jacob Chansley became a symbol of the January 6 riot after images of him adorned in buffalo horns went viral.
Chansley later pleaded guilty to several charges and was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Yet in a development that is sure to leave some liberals furious, Chansley was released this week to a halfway house.
The Daily Mail reported that he "was transferred from FCI Stafford federal prison in Arizona to community confinement in the Phoenix area" after spending 27 months behind bars.
Phoenix's Fox 10 quoted Chansley's attorney as saying, "I told him 16 months ago in our first conversation it would be Feb. or Mar. 2023."
"I didn’t do anything extraordinary–this was always the schedule, I just understood it and could explain it to him. He was expecting 12 more months," the lawyer added.
Chansely was in the news earlier this month after Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired previously sealed security footage taken on January 6.
The video shows him behaving peacefully and being accompanied by a group of police officers as he walked around Capitol Hill.
🚨BREAKING: Never before seen video of January 6 shows Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, being led through the Capitol by police the entire time that he was in the building. pic.twitter.com/rikoRMWezF
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 7, 2023
Many conservatives were quick to celebrate news of Chansley's release, with Donald Trump Jr. tweeting, "It's about time!"
It’s about time! After being sentenced to almost 3 years in prison for non violent offenses the Qanon Shaman has been released, 14 months early, just weeks after @TuckerCarlson aired exculpatory January 6th video that his defense attorneys claim they never saw. Now we need… pic.twitter.com/XF8qEq5dzz
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 30, 2023
Conservative commentator Rogan O’Handley agreed before adding that those who hid footage of his behavior on January 6 should themselves be prosecuted.
I’m happy to see Jacob Chansley released early after Tucker showed hidden videos that tell the truth about J6
But this doesn’t end here
Time to prosecute the corrupt prosecutors that hid this exculpatory footage in violation of the Constitution
Justice!https://t.co/dl7bQChAv5
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) March 30, 2023
Meanwhile, others pointed to the treatment of a left-wing shaman-like figure who helped stage a recent takeover of the Kentucky legislature as evidence that the justice system is politically biased.
If you want to understand why the trans shaman won’t spend a day in jail while the QAnon shaman spends 4 years in jail I’d like to introduce you to the friend/enemy distinction https://t.co/JPiHgQuTyI
— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) March 30, 2023
