Capitol riot defendant could end up back in jail for watching MyPillow guy's election symposium
A Capitol riot defendant who was released from jail reportedly could end up going back after he spent two days watching MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's election conspiracy theories.
Prosecutors in a filing on Thursday said they want alleged Capitol rioter Douglas Jensen to be sent back to jail as a result of "egregious" violations of his release conditions, which barred him from accessing the Internet after he was released in July, BuzzFeed News reports. According to the filing, Jensen admitted that he "spent two days watching Mike Lindell's Cyber Symposium regarding the recount of the presidential election." Lindell has repeatedly pushed baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was illegitimate.
Jensen allegedly "led a mob chasing Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman" during the Capitol riot and "joined rioters by climbing through a broken window to enter the Capitol while armed with a knife." According to BuzzFeed News, his lawyer has argued that after spending six months in jail, he recognized "that he bought into a pack of lies" and "feels deceived."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But prosecutors said that after violating his release conditions, he "has proven that not even six months in jail will deter him from returning to the conspiracy theories that led him to commit an assault against a federal officer on January 6, 2021," and that "contrary to what Jensen claimed at his bond hearing, he is still very much bought into QAnon's 'pack of lies.'"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
5 prize-winning cartoons about Donald Trump's appetite for awardsCartoons Artists take on operatic ambitions, peace prize pacifiers, and more
-
Will Trump’s $12 billion bailout solve the farm crisis?Today’s Big Question Agriculture sector says it wants trade, not aid
-
‘City leaders must recognize its residents as part of its lifeblood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
