Jacob Chansley, the Jan. 6 protester whose horned fur hat, bare chest, and face paint made him one of the more recognizable figures in the chaos at the Capitol, told Newsmax his life is "forever changed" after serving 41 months in prison for obstructing an official proceeding.
"That's why the defense’s closing statement in yesterday's hearing is so important because he basically illustrated the fact that based on the government's interpretation of this statute, they could, if they wanted to, go after peaceful protesters. They could use this tyrannical dragnet of a statute to go after people and throw them in prison for 20 years, based on exercising their First Amendment rights," Chansley told Newsmax TV’s "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" Wednesday regarding the Supreme Court questioning whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
"So, what we allow the government to do to others, it will most certainly do to us, and that is why the Supreme Court must put the executive branch in check so that the balance of power can be maintained in the United States of America," he added.
The justices heard arguments over the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding in the case of Joseph Fischer, a former Pennsylvania police officer who has been indicted for his role in disrupting Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.
Fischer is 1 of 330 people facing that charge, which stems from a law passed in the aftermath of the Enron financial scandal more than two decades ago to deal with the destruction of documents.
Trump is facing two charges in a separate case brought by special counsel Jack Smith in Washington that could be knocked out with a favorable ruling from the nation’s highest court.
Next week, the justices will hear arguments over whether the former president and presumptive nominee for the 2024 Republican nomination has "absolute immunity" from prosecution in that case, a proposition that has so far been rejected by two lower courts.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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