Jacob Chansley: The Man, The Myth, and The Big Lie
Jacob Chansley, the man dubbed the “QAnon Shaman” by the media, is back in the news again.
Chansley gained notoriety after being spotted during the January 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington. The gathering ultimately led to an attack on the Capitol, resulting in several deaths, including Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, along with dozens of police officers injured during the siege.
Due to his bizarre attire and decidedly unusual behavior, Chansley received outsized attention from many news outlets as well as on social media. The man, now known as the QAnon Shaman, eventually became the face of what was labeled as “The January 6th Insurrection.”
Chansley was arrested after voluntarily surrendering to authorities and was jailed along with hundreds of other alleged offenders. According to court documents, Chansley was charged with a literal laundry list of offenses, which included violent entry into the Capitol. Chansley was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and sentenced to 41 months in prison, as part of a plea deal.
For most people, this would have been the end of the line, but for Jacob Chansley, this could be just the beginning.