‘Anchorman’ and ‘Mr. Show’ comedian Jay Johnston pleads guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol attack

WASHINGTON — A veteran comic with roles on “Mr. Present,” “Arrested Improvement,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” has pleaded responsible in connection along with his function within the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Jay Johnston, sporting a grey go well with, pleaded responsible to a felony offense of obstructing officers throughout a civil dysfunction. “Responsible,” Johnson mentioned when requested by U.S. District Choose Carl Nichols how he pleaded. Nichols set a sentencing listening to for 10 a.m. Oct. 7, asking federal prosecutors to show of their sentencing memo by Sept. 30 and the protection to show its in by Oct. 3.

After his arrest, Johnston was indicted by a federal grand jury alongside 4 different Jan. 6 defendants; the federal government alleged that every one 5 males took half within the battle on the decrease west tunnel main into the Capitol, the place a few of the worst rioter-on-law-enforcement violence passed off on Jan. 6.

The FBI alleged that video footage confirmed Johnston “handing up a stolen U.S. Capitol police protect to different rioters” and that Johnston “participated with different rioters in a gaggle assault” on the officers defending the decrease west tunnel.

Johnston was listed as No. 247 on the FBI’s Capitol Violence web site, the place the bureau posts photographs of a few of its most wished rioters from the Capitol assault. The FBI mentioned {that a} lawyer representing Johnston known as the FBI’s Nationwide Risk Operations Heart in March 2021 to establish him. The bureau mentioned it spoke with three of Johnston’s associates, one among whom supplied the FBI with a textual content message confirming his presence on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“The information has introduced it as an assault. It really wasn’t. Thought it sort of become that,” Johnston wrote in that textual content message. “It was a multitude. Received maced and tear gassed and I discovered it fairly untastic.”

Johnston confronted skilled backlash lengthy earlier than he was charged in reference to the assault: The character he voiced on “Bob’s Burgers,” Jimmy Pesto Sr., was written off the present due to Johnston’s involvement in storming the Capitol, the Each day Beast reported in December 2021. The character was later revived with a distinct voice actor.

Earlier in his Hollywood profession, Johnston had usually portrayed law enforcement officials, together with on “The Sarah Silverman Present” and “Arrested Improvement.” Johnston can also be recognized for his function in Mr. Present’s “The Story of Everest” sketch, the place he performed a person who repeatedly fell into cabinets of thimbles on the wall after returning residence from climbing Mount Everest and making an attempt to inform the story of the climb. Johnston additionally performed a member of Wes Mantooth’s information crew throughout the epic battle scene in “Anchorman.”

Within the greater than 3.5 years because the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, the FBI has made greater than 1,400 arrests and secured greater than 1,000 convictions. Whereas lots of of low-level Jan. 6 defendants have been sentenced to probation, greater than 540 jail sentences have been handed out starting from a number of days behind bars to 22 years in federal jail for Enrique Tarrio, the previous Proud Boys chief convicted of seditious conspiracy.

The Supreme Court docket’s latest ruling concerning the obstruction of an official continuing cost used towards lots of of Jan. 6 defendants is anticipated to have a ripple impact in a lot of these instances. The federal government has lower than a 12 months and a half to cost lots of of Jan. 6 rioters who’ve been recognized by on-line sleuths (however haven’t been arrested by the FBI) earlier than the statute of limitations expires in early 2026.