QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley Prison Release Sparks Speculation

Some conservatives are speculating that unearthed January 6 video aired by Tucker Carlson led to an early prison release for Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon shaman.

Chansley, who was seen shirtless and donned Viking headgear and red, white and blue face paint, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding following his participation in the Capitol riot on January 6. He was originally sentenced to 41 months in prison but now, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), is in a halfway house in Phoenix, Arizona, after serving almost 27 months.

The fallout from that day's events have led to fierce debates about the actions of some Capitol police officers, such as in the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt, as well as aggression experienced by on-scene officers at the hands of protestors—including the death of one officer.

Questions of Chansley's role on January 6 and whether he deserved his charge and sentence escalated recently when Fox News' Tucker Carlson aired clips showing the shaman seemingly guided through Congress by members of Capitol police.

The video footage originally recorded by CCTV and played by Carlson was provided to him personally by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It appears to show Chansley walking cavalierly through the hall of Congress, even alongside some officers.

"The tapes show that Capitol Police never stopped Jacob Chansley; they helped him," Carlson said March 6, when the new tapes first circulated. "They acted as his tour guides."

Albert Watkins, the attorney who represented Chansley when he pleaded guilty, told CNN that the footage aired by Carlson was never presented to him at the time of his client's deliberations.

"The government had a duty to disclose all evidence, especially exculpatory evidence," Watkins said. "The government's duty in this regard is not subject to discretion. It is an absolute duty."

Elon Musk chimed in as well on his Twitter platform, tweeting "Free Jacob Chansley" on March 10. When another Twitter used replied to Musk and said he was "part of the MAGA movement," Musk corrected the record.

"I'm not part of MAGA, but I do believe in fairness of justice," Musk added. "Chansley was falsely portrayed in the media as a violent criminal who tried to overthrow the state and who urged others to commit violence. But here he is urging people to be peaceful and go home."

He also compared Chansley's actions to that of the attacker of comedian Dave Chappelle.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted Thursday that "all the credit goes to @SpeakerMcCarthy for releasing the video tapes and @TuckerCarlson for his great work exposing the lies of the politically corrupt Democrats and the January 6th Committee."

"I'm thankful for the recently released J6 footage that corrected the narrative," tweeted Arizona GOP Congressman Andy Biggs. "This is a step in the right direction, but more has to be done for the others remaining in the DC Gulag."

Mark Pukita, a Republican and Senate candidate from Ohio in 2022, questioned whether the Department of Justice let Chansley out "so they don't have to produce the exculpatory evidence they should have produced during discovery?"

"It appears there's a massive civil rights action here," Pukita tweeted.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek via text message that Chansley likely received a 15-percent reduction for good behavior and can also serve up to the final 12 months of his sentence in a residential reentry center (RRC) or halfway house at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons.

The BOP, according to its website, contracts with RRCs, to provide assistance to inmates who are nearing release and "provide a safe, structured, supervised environment, as well as employment counseling, job placement, financial management assistance, and other programs and services."

"I don't think it has anything to do with Tucker Carlson or media pressure," Rahmani said. "Despite the violent nature of the Capitol riots, most of the rioters had little to no criminal history."