Jacob Anthony Chansley, born in nineteen eighty-eight, is an American activist and conspiracy theorist, widely recognized for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Known by various monikers including Jake Angeli and the QAnon Shaman, Chansley has become a controversial figure in contemporary political discourse.
Chansley's activism began around two thousand nineteen, where he participated in demonstrations in the Phoenix, Arizona area. His involvement included supporting climate strikes and promoting conspiracy theories aligned with former President Donald Trump. He also took part in counterprotests against Black Lives Matter events, further solidifying his position within the realm of political activism.
Following his participation in the Capitol storming, Chansley was arrested on January 9, facing multiple federal charges including civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. In September, he pled guilty to a single felony charge and was sentenced to forty-one months in prison, followed by thirty-six months of supervised release. He served part of his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution - Safford in Arizona before being transferred to a halfway house in March two thousand twenty-three, ultimately being released in May of the same year.
In a significant turn of events, on January 20, two thousand twenty-five, President Trump issued pardons to approximately one thousand five hundred individuals connected to the January 6 attack, including Chansley, marking a notable chapter in his controversial life.