The so-called QAnon Shaman, one of the most recognizable figures from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, is making renewed pleas for pretrial release based on a claim that he stopped a fellow insurrectionist from stealing a muffin from a Capitol breakroom, this time releasing video of the attempted theft. He’s made the claim in interviews before, but on Wednesday, lawyers for the Shaman, legal name Jacob Chansley, linked to a YouTube video titled “Jake Stops Muffin Stealing” as part of a motion to secure his release before his trial. Chansley’s lawyers wrote, “On March 19, 2021, Defendant’s counsel provided to the Government video footage depicting Defendant Chansley during his January 6, 2021 visit to the Capitol thwarting a crime (theft) by yelling at another person in the Capitol who was attempting to steal a ‘muffin’ from a breakroom in the Capitol.” Chansley faces six charges and up to 28 years in prison.
