A jury in federal court convicted Barnett in January of four felonies, including obstruction of an official proceeding, and four misdemeanors. Barnett carried a walking stick with a 950,000-volt stun device into the Capitol along with a 10-pound metal flagpole and menaced police with them, prosecutors said, but did not assault any officers. Prosecutors requested a sentence of more than seven years in prison for Barnett.
The next day, Jan. 6, Barnett attended the “Stop the Steal” rally headlined by then-president Donald Trump, then walked to the Capitol, filming himself pursuing and harassing a group of police officers, prosecutors said. Barnett entered through the east side and later claimed that he was forced in by the mob there.
Barnett soon found his way to Pelosi’s suite and sat down behind a staff member’s desk, apparently thinking it was Pelosi’s. He found an empty envelope bearing Pelosi’s digital signature and stole it, leading to a conviction for misdemeanor theft of government property. Barnett said he left a quarter behind, thereby mitigating the theft.Barnett testified that he put his boot on the desk after two photographers told him to “sit down and act natural” as they took the photo..
“I probably shouldn’t have put my feet on the desk,” Barnett testified. “And my language … I’m a Christian. It just wasn’t good. It wasn’t who I am.” He told the jury he would apologize to Pelosi in person if he could.Barnett left Pelosi’s offices when Capitol Police arrived, but he soon realized he had forgotten his flagpole. He tried to go back for it but wound up in a faceoff with D.C.
Barnett left the Capitol about 30 minutes after entering. He then joined the crowd outside, where he proudly displayed the envelope he had taken from Pelosi’s office and encouraged others to go inside the building, prosecutors said.
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