Staff Reports
Albert Watkins, the defense attorney for the “QAnon Shaman,” is calling out the Justice Department for what he believes is a deliberate attempt to withhold evidence from his client’s trial. Watkins, a St. Louis-based attorney for nearly 40 years, has filed three motions for pretrial release due to his client’s mental health issues and believes that the newly released footage would have aided his case.
Jacob Chansley's Former Attorney Albert Watkins Joined Tucker Carlson To Discuss The New Footage Showing Chansley Being Led Through The Capitol By Police
Tucker: "Had you seen that clearly exculpatory tape of your client at trial?"
Albert: "No." pic.twitter.com/B7cU6l3iEv
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) March 9, 2023
The footage, which was released by Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson, showed his client walking inside the Capitol with police officers. Watkins believes that the Justice Department should publicly admit that it failed the legal system by deliberately withholding this footage that went against its narrative.
🚨BREAKING: Never before seen video of January 6 shows Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, being led through the Capitol by police the entire time that he was in the building. pic.twitter.com/rikoRMWezF
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 7, 2023
The Justice Department has argued that most of Carlson’s footage has been provided to defense attorneys and some of it has aired in hearings. However, Watkins is not convinced, and believes that the government had a duty to disclose all exculpatory evidence. He believes that this failure to do so will lead to distrust in the government and compromise the rights of all citizens.
Watkins is not a liberal or a right-winger, and does not condone the Capitol riot. He is an attorney who cares about the rights of defendants and believes that the government’s actions are despicable and unforgivable. He believes that the Justice Department must be held accountable for its failure to provide all known footage of his client in the Capitol during his prosecution.
It is clear that the Justice Department’s decision to withhold evidence from the QAnon Shaman’s trial was politically motivated. This is yet another example of how the government will go to extreme lengths to push its own agenda, even if it means compromising the rights of innocent citizens. It is time for the Justice Department to be held accountable for its actions and publicly admit its failure to provide all known evidence in this case.
