Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer Is Being Sued by the DC Attorney General for His Role in the Capitol Riots

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On January 6th, rioters spurred by former president Donald Trump’s fictional claims of election fraud stormed the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, killing a cop in the process. Among those involved in the riot was Jon Schaffer, lead guitarist and songwriter for American power metal band Iced Earth. Since then, Schaffer has struck a deal with the feds, and has continued cooperating with the investigation. Now, it’s been reported that District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine has filed a lawsuit against 31 individuals involved in the riots, with Schaffer among them.

As reported by The PRP, Racine is focusing on participants of the riot involved with far-rights groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, the latter of which Schaffer is a member (Schaffer can be seen wearing an Oath Keepers hat in the infamous photos of him from the riots). Racine wants those involved to be liable for the massive expenses spent handling and containing the riot, from the cost of police intervention to hospital bills.

A complete copy of the lawsuit can be read online.

In April, it was revealed that Schaffer had plead guilty to “obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress” and “trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon” as part of his cooperation with the investigation into the riot. According to Schaffer’s current deal with the authorities, he must obey the following rules:

  • He has to submit to court supervision in the Northem Dlstrict of Indiana.
  • He has to surrender his passport and any other international travel documents.
  • He must stay outside of Washington, D.C. except for court hearings and meetings with attorneys.
  • He will be permitted to travel within the continental United States with notice to pretrial services.
  • He cannot possess any firearms or explosive devices, including legally owned firearms. Any firearms must be removed from his home.

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Words by Chris Krovatin