Jacob Chansley, who entered a guilty plea in September 2021 and received a 41-month federal prison sentence, was released 14 months ahead of schedule.
Recently, footage aired on the Tucker Carlson show depicted him being escorted by police officers inside the Capitol, a video Chansley’s lawyer (no longer his lawyer) claimed to have never seen at the time. After viewing the footage, Elon Musk even took to Twitter, calling for Chansley’s freedom. Consequently, many have argued that his punishment was unwarranted.
Although the coincidental timing suggests that the video’s release influenced Chansley’s early release, it appears that the decision was already in motion before the footage became public.
However, former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told DailyMail.com that it was unlikely the intense scrutiny on Chansley’s case had any impact on his early release.’I don’t think it has anything to do with media [or] public pressure,’ said Ramani, who is not connected with the case.He noted that release of inmates to halfway houses for the final 12 months of their sentences was ‘kind of routine for the Bureau of Prisons,’ particularly for inmates without a lengthy criminal history.
Chansley’s current lawyer also tweeted that the videos “DID NOT play a role in any “early release” for Jake Chansely.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY