Pardoned January 6 defendant runs for Florida political office | Florida
A Florida man who was convicted and then pardoned by Donald Trump after grabbing the lectern of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and posing for photos with it during the riot at the U.S. Capitol is running for county office.
Adam Johnson filed as a Republican for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission on Tuesday. It was the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, when he was photographed smiling and waving while carrying Pelosi’s lectern after the pro-Trump mob attacked in 2021.
Johnson told WWSB-TV it was “not a coincidence” that he ran for office on Jan. 6, saying, “It’s really good to create buzz.” » His campaign logo is a preview of the viral photograph of him carrying the lectern.
He is far from the first person involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack to run for office. At least three unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2024 as Republicans. And there are signs that the Republican Party is welcoming back more people convicted of the Jan. 6 offenses after Trump pardoned them.
Jake Lang, who was charged with assaulting an officer, civil disorder and other crimes before being pardoned, recently announced he was running for Marco Rubio’s seat vacated in Florida.
Johnson placed the lectern in the center of the Capitol rotunda, posed for photos and pretended to give a speech, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, an offense he likened to “jaywalking” during the interview.
“I believe I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest,” Johnson said.
After returning home, Johnson bragged about “breaking the Internet” and being “famous finally,” prosecutors said.
Johnson served 75 days in jail followed by a year of supervised release. The judge also ordered Johnson to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.
Johnson told U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton at his sentencing that posing with Pelosi’s lectern was a “very stupid idea,” but he now says he only regrets his action because of the prison sentence.
“I entered a building, took a photo with a piece of furniture and left,” he says now.
So far, four other Republicans have filed to run in the Aug. 18 primary in this deeply Republican county. The outgoing president is not seeking re-election.
In March 2025, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Manatee County and six of its commissioners, objecting to the county’s decision not to seek attorney fees from someone who sued the county and dropped the lawsuit. The county called Johnson’s claims “totally baseless and unsupported by law.”
Johnson said he opposes high property taxes and overdevelopment in the county south of Tampa, saying the county’s current leaders are wasteful.
“I will be scrutinized more than any other candidate running in this race,” Johnson said. “It’s positive and it’s a good thing to remember for every citizen, because for once in our lives we will know our local politicians who get things done. »
