The individual who gained notoriety for taking a lectern from Nancy Pelosi’s office during the January 6 Capitol riot is now pursuing a political role in Florida.
Adam Johnson, 41, became widely recognized as ‘The Lectern Guy’ after a viral photo captured him smiling and waving while holding the lectern.
This past Tuesday, marking five years since the January 6 events, Johnson submitted his candidacy paperwork to run as a Republican for an at-large county commission position in Manatee County, near Tampa.
Following the Capitol unrest in 2021, Johnson faced arrest and charges for unlawfully entering a restricted building.
Pleading guilty, he received a sentence of 75 days in jail, a year of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and was required to complete 200 hours of community service.
Although President Donald Trump granted pardons to all January 6 participants at the start of his second term, Johnson had already fulfilled his sentence by then.
In an interview with WWSB, Johnson said his decision to file the paperwork to run for office on the anniversary of January 6 was, ‘definitely good for getting the buzz out there.’
During his sentencing, he told US District Judge Reggie Walton that stealing Pelosi’s lectern and posing for pictures with it was a ‘very stupid idea,’ but he has since downplayed the severity of his actions.
Adam Johnson, 41, became known as ‘The lectern guy’ after this picture of him during the January 6 riot went viral
In 2021, after the events of January 6, Johnson was charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building, and he was sentenced to 75 days in prison
This is how he now describes what happened: ‘I walked into a building, I took a picture with a piece of furniture and I left.’
And in the interview with WWSB, Johnson equated the misdemeanor charge he was found guilty of to jaywalking.
‘I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest,’ he added.
According to Johnson’s campaign website, which emphasizes that he is a father of five and a small business owner, he is running because he is ‘Tired of watching MAGA principles get ignored at the local level.’
The website promises to ‘fix Manatee fast’ and ‘root out the corruption that’s been costing you money and destroying our quality of life.’
Johnson said he objects to high property taxes and overdevelopment in Manatee County, claiming that its current leaders are wasteful.
In March, he filed a lawsuit against the county and six of its commissioners, saying they should have sought attorney’s fees from someone who sued the county and dropped the lawsuit.
The county has called Johnson’s case ‘completely meritless and unsupported by law.’
Johnson called his actions on January 6 ‘very stupid’ during his sentencing, but he has since downplayed the severity of what he did
There are many other January 6 rioters who have run for office or are currently campaigning, such as Jacob Chansley, better known as the QAnon Shaman
Chansley recently announced that he plans to run for governor of Arizona as an independent in November against Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs
Four other Republican candidates have filed to run in the primary for the same seat Johnson is seeking. The incumbent, Jason Bearden, is not running for re-election.
Many other January 6 defendants have also tried to run for office or are currently campaigning.
In 2024, at least three ran for Congress as Republicans, but all of their bids were unsuccessful.
Jake Lang, a January 6 rioter who was charged with assaulting an officer and civil disorder before being pardoned, is currently running for the Florida Senate seat that used to be held by Marco Rubio before he became Secretary of State.
There is also Jacob Chansley, better known as the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ who was photographed while shirtless and wearing bull horns and American flag face paint in the Capitol building.
Chansley recently announced that he plans to run for governor of Arizona as an independent in November against Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs.
He also confirmed that he has broken with Trump over the president’s reluctance to release the Epstein files.
