Source: Brent Stirton / Getty
It seems as if the leader of the online disinformation turned insurrection group, QAnon, is having a change of heart.
According to published reports, earlier this week Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man who stormed the Capitol in horns and red, white, and blue body paint, and is popularly known as the “QAnon Shaman” has began questioning his loyalty to former President, Donald Trump, after he pardoned Lil Wayne over his group of supporters who stormed the capitol in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
On Tuesday (Feb 23), a new filing was submitted in court by Chansley’s attorney, Al Watkins, reveals that one of the key moments that made Chansley question his loyalty to the former President is when he issued a last-minute flurry of pardons for his friends and colleagues — as well as rap star Lil’ Wayne.
Chansley, who lost 20 pounds in jail until corrections officers granted his request to be fed organic food, reportedly feels “betrayed” by the president, who encouraged supporters to come to the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the invasion on the Capitol — and even offered to testify at Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
Trump’s pardon of Lil’ Wayne was a real inflection point for QAnon Shaman, his attorney claims. pic.twitter.com/CP6mKgDO2P
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) February 23, 2021
Watkins also argued during his case for Chansley’s release, that a note that his client penned to then-Vice President Mike Pence wasn’t threatening, in an attempt to undo a mid-January decision by an Arizona judge who concluded Chansley was at risk of fleeing and obstructing justice and posed a danger to the community. The defense lawyer said Chansley, who is now jailed in Alexandria, Virginia, has no prior criminal history and didn’t act violently, enter offices in the Capitol building or steal classified materials during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Lil’ Wayne, who was an open Trump supporter during both of the disgraced President’s campaigns, pleaded guilty to firearms charges in December. He was released by Trump as part of a longer list of pardons that also included former associates convicted of tax fraud, false statements to the FBI, and witness tampering in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Chansley, who calls himself the “QAnon Shaman” and has long been a fixture at Trump rallies, unsuccessfully sought a pardon from Trump. He has since apologized for his actions during the insurrection and has soured on Trump, arguing he wouldn’t have gone to Washington if Trump had not called on him and other followers to go there.
He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of civil disorder and obstructing an official proceeding, plus four other misdemeanor charges.
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