If there is one image from Jan. 6th that will remain indelible with the day, it is the “QAnon Shaman.” Bare chested and wearing an animal headdress, horns and red-white-and-blue face paint, Jake Angeli Chansley is to the Capitol riot what Rosie the Riveter was to World War II. Howling and “chanting an unintelligible mantra” on the Senate floor, he is the embodiment of the unhinged rage that led to one of the most disgraceful attacks on our constitutional process in history.
However, the newly released Fox footage from that day raises serious questions over the prosecution and punishment of Chansley. The videotapes aired on Tucker Carlson this week show Chansley being escorted by officers through the Capitol. Two officers appear to not only guide him to the floor but actually appear to be trying to open locked doors for him. At one point, Chansley is shown walking unimpeded through a large number of armed officers with his four-foot flag-draped spear and horned Viking helmet on his way to the Senate floor.
It is otherworldly footage. While I admit that I approach these stories from the perspective of a long-standing criminal defense attorney, I would be outraged if I was unable to see such evidence before a plea or sentencing. At no point in the videotapes does Chansley appear violent or threatening. Indeed, he appears to thank the officers for their guidance and assistance. On the Senate floor, Chansley actually gave a prayer to thank the officers agreed “to allow us into the building.”
Before addressing the legal implications of this footage, one thing should be clear. The public should have been given access to this footage long ago and the Jan. 6th Committee withheld important evidence on what occurred inside the Capitol on that day.
While it is understandable that many would object to Carlson being given an exclusive in the initial release, many in the media are denouncing the release of the footage to the public at all. The press and pundits are now opposing greater transparency in resisting any contradiction of the narrative put forward by the Jan. 6th Committee. Indeed, MSNBC’s Jason Johnson angrily objected that this is “federal evidence” — ignoring that it is evidence that was denied to criminal defendants.
This is not just material that the public should be able to see, it was potential evidence in criminal cases like that of the QAnon Shaman.
When the footage aired, I wrote a column raising the question of whether this evidence was known to or shared with Chansley’s defense. After all, he was portrayed as a violent offender by the Justice Department at his sentencing.
It now appears that the answer is no. I spoke with Chansley’s new counsel, Bill Shipley, and confirmed that defense counsel did not have this material.
In the hearing, federal prosecutor Kimberly Paschall played videos showing Chansley yelling along with the crowd and insisted “that is not peaceful.”
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The NY Times put together a 40 minute video that you can access on youtube only by signing in, because it's too violent for under 18 to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
You can see some of it here if you don't want to sign in.
How about we don't see the dramatic composites and just see the raw footage?
Sure all 44000 hours of it. Do you think that will he enough to cover up the violence and destruction?
I think it will be enough for the American people to come to their own conclusions.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The NY Times put together a 40 minute video that you can access on youtube only by signing in, because it's too violent for under 18 to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
You can see some of it here if you don't want to sign in.
How about we don't see the dramatic composites and just see the raw footage?
Sure all 44000 hours of it. Do you think that will he enough to cover up the violence and destruction?
I think it will be enough for the American people to come to their own conclusions.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The NY Times put together a 40 minute video that you can access on youtube only by signing in, because it's too violent for under 18 to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
You can see some of it here if you don't want to sign in.
How about we don't see the dramatic composites and just see the raw footage?
Sure all 44000 hours of it. Do you think that will he enough to cover up the violence and destruction?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The NY Times put together a 40 minute video that you can access on youtube only by signing in, because it's too violent for under 18 to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
You can see some of it here if you don't want to sign in.
How about we don't see the dramatic composites and just see the raw footage?
Anonymous wrote:The NY Times put together a 40 minute video that you can access on youtube only by signing in, because it's too violent for under 18 to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWJVMoe7OY0
You can see some of it here if you don't want to sign in.
Anonymous wrote:No matter how hard the J6 apologists try they cannot erase the video of throngs of people breaking into the Capitol and attacking the police while Congresspeople and staff cowed in fear, ran to safety, and hid behind locked doors.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How can Tucker cherry pick footage and then claim these people were peacefully protesting?
Never before has the media pieced together certain information to support a narrative, while failing to report information that contradicts that narrative! Never has the media claimed that "protestors" were peacedful when in fact they were violent and destrutive!
This is an affront to the credibility of the media. How can we allow him to report a clearly false, yet politically expediant narrative?
Not "the media" - just Fox News and the right wing echo chamber that amplified the "big lie" and fomented the Trump coup attempt.
It's all totally unprecedented!!! Omitting facts to cause viewers to reach flase conclusions? Tucker has crossed a red line! All journalists must come together and commit to stick to the facts. They must denounce Tucker and his creative editing. Or they are all literally Hitler.
But per Fox court filings going back years, people like Tucker are "entertainment" not news.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How can Tucker cherry pick footage and then claim these people were peacefully protesting?
Never before has the media pieced together certain information to support a narrative, while failing to report information that contradicts that narrative! Never has the media claimed that "protestors" were peacedful when in fact they were violent and destrutive!
This is an affront to the credibility of the media. How can we allow him to report a clearly false, yet politically expediant narrative?
Not "the media" - just Fox News and the right wing echo chamber that amplified the "big lie" and fomented the Trump coup attempt.
It's all totally unprecedented!!! Omitting facts to cause viewers to reach flase conclusions? Tucker has crossed a red line! All journalists must come together and commit to stick to the facts. They must denounce Tucker and his creative editing. Or they are all literally Hitler.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How can Tucker cherry pick footage and then claim these people were peacefully protesting?
Never before has the media pieced together certain information to support a narrative, while failing to report information that contradicts that narrative! Never has the media claimed that "protestors" were peacedful when in fact they were violent and destrutive!
This is an affront to the credibility of the media. How can we allow him to report a clearly false, yet politically expediant narrative?
Not "the media" - just Fox News and the right wing echo chamber that amplified the "big lie" and fomented the Trump coup attempt.
Anonymous wrote:How can Tucker cherry pick footage and then claim these people were peacefully protesting?
Never before has the media pieced together certain information to support a narrative, while failing to report information that contradicts that narrative! Never has the media claimed that "protestors" were peacedful when in fact they were violent and destrutive!
This is an affront to the credibility of the media. How can we allow him to report a clearly false, yet politically expediant narrative?
Anonymous wrote:How can Tucker cherry pick footage and then claim these people were peacefully protesting?
Never before has the media pieced together certain information to support a narrative, while failing to report information that contradicts that narrative! Never has the media claimed that "protestors" were peacedful when in fact they were violent and destrutive!
This is an affront to the credibility of the media. How can we allow him to report a clearly false, yet politically expediant narrative?