The ‘QAnon Shaman’ files paperwork to run for Congress

Jacob Chansley, who became known as the “QAnon Shaman” after video of his antics inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, went viral, has announced that he is running for Congress, NBC15 reported.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, the Republican lawmaker who currently represents the congressional district, announced in October she would not be running for re-election, according to AP. Her term officially ends in January 2025.

Chansley is among the more than 700 people who have been sentenced in relation to Capitol riot-related federal crimes, AP reports.

The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit felons from holding federal office, but Arizona law prohibits felons from voting until they have completed their sentence.

Chansley plans to run as a libertarian in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. In the wake of his storming the Capitol, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021 before being released to a halfway house in March.

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.