Adam Johnson, who was pardoned by Donald Trump after serving 75 days in prison for stealing Nancy Pelosi's lectern during the US Capitol riot, has filed to run for a seat on the Manatee County Commission in Florida. He submitted his candidacy as a Republican on the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack, a date he said was chosen deliberately to generate attention.
Johnson was photographed smiling and waving as he carried the lectern through the Capitol Rotunda, an image that now serves as his campaign logo. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to entering a restricted building, a misdemeanor he compared to jaywalking, and was sentenced to 75 days in prison, a $5,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.
Johnson is not the first January 6 defendant to seek office; at least three ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024. Another pardoned defendant, Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer, recently announced a run for the US Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio in Florida.
Johnson told a local TV station that he expects heightened scrutiny but views it as a positive for voters. He has also filed a lawsuit against Manatee County and its commissioners over a legal fees dispute, which the county has dismissed as meritless. The primary election is set for August 18 in the heavily Republican county.
