{"id":882,"date":"2026-05-30T22:08:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T22:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=882"},"modified":"2026-05-30T22:08:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T22:08:52","slug":"jan-6-podium-guy-turned-county-commission-candidate-files-5-million-doj-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=882","title":{"rendered":"Jan. 6 \u2018podium guy\u2019 turned county commission candidate files $5 million DOJ claim"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cPodium Guy,\u201d who was infamously photographed carrying then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s lectern through the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, has asked the Department of Justice to pay him $5 million.<\/p>

Read more \u2018What\u2019s the word?\u2019 New Jersey voters look for answers about Tom Kean Jr.\u2019s absence from Congress<\/a><\/p>\n

Adam Johnson met Wednesday with DOJ personnel to file his official claim from President Trump\u2019s Anti-Weaponization Fund, which has been established to compensate victims of the Biden administration\u2019s legal activities.<\/p>\n

Mr. Johnson, who pleaded guilty to entering a restricted building and earned a 75-day sentence in 2021, told \u201cSeen, Heard & Whispered\u201d that he spent $250,000 on his legal defense and accrued far more than that in damage to his reputation.<\/p>\n

He says he needs to be made whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe harm is not just towards me. It is generational harm, and it will also follow my kids and grandkids,\u201d Mr. Johnson said.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n \n \n SEE ALSO: \u2018Podium Guy\u2019 seeks $5 million from Anti-Weaponization Fund\n \n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The fund was established by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of a deal with Mr. Trump to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the unauthorized release of his tax returns.<\/p>\n

Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill have blasted the fund as ill-conceived. The notion that those who battled police at the Capitol has also irked lawmakers.<\/p>

Read more Capitol rioters clamor for payouts from Trump\u2019s new \u2018anti-weaponization\u2019 fund despite backlash<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr. Johnson argued in court that he was singled out for punishment by the DOJ because he was photographed taking Mrs. Pelosi\u2019s lectern. His case would have been handled less aggressively if he had taken any other property, his lawyer argued.<\/p>\n

Mr. Johnson said the Anti-Weaponization Fund gives those like him a way to fight back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sets kind of the mood of, \u2018Don\u2019t be afraid to show up and say I was wrongfully prosecuted.\u2019 Continue to speak out. We have an opportunity to gain some of our lives back after this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr. Johnson, who is running for a seat on the Manatee County Commission in Florida, detailed his legal battle in his book, \u201cTaking a Stand.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Kathryn Burgum turned her 20-year addiction struggle into a White House mission<\/a><\/p>\n

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“Podium Guy,” who was infamously photographed carrying then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, has asked the Department of Justice to pay him $5 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[574,573],"class_list":["post-882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics","tag-adam-johnson","tag-nancy-pelosi"],"yoast_head":"\nJan. 6 \u2018podium guy\u2019 turned county commission candidate files $5 million DOJ claim - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=882\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jan. 6 \u2018podium guy\u2019 turned county commission candidate files $5 million DOJ claim - 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