Defendant, who prosecutors say stormed Capitol in a QAnon shirt, says he 'fell victim' to conspiracies and was fed 'a pack of lies' by Trump

Azmi Haroun

Jun 8, 2021, 09:22 IST

Defendant, who prosecutors say stormed Capitol in a QAnon shirt, says he 'fell victim' to conspiracies and was fed 'a pack of lies' by Trump

In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. Doug Jensen, an Iowa man at center, was jailed early Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 on federal charges, including trespassing and disorderly conduct counts, for his alleged role in the Capitol riot.AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

Iowa man Douglas Jensen was charged with relating to activity at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In a new request for release, his attorney is claiming Jensen was fed a "pack of lies" by Trump.
Jensen's charges include assaulting an officer and obstructing an official proceeding.

Douglas Jensen, an Iowa man who was indicted on several federal charges related to the January 6 insurrection, is seeking a release from custody ahead of his arraignment hearing, arguing that he "fell victim" to conspiracy theories.

The new request for release was issued ahead of Jensen's arraignment at a DC federal court on Tuesday. His attorney claimed that Jensen has been "languishing" in a DC jail for six months. He was arrested five months ago.

Prosecutors say that in several viral videos, Jensen can be seen in front of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, as well as other officers, amid one of the first waves of rioters to break into the Capitol. He's pictured sporting a T-shirt with a QAnon logo with an eagle in the center, accompanied by the group's slogan.

In new court documents, Jensen's attorney Christopher Davis is calling for his client's release on the basis that Jensen "feels deceived, recognizing that he bought into a pack of lies" by former President Donald Trump. Davis claims that his client was only at the rally to observe and that Trump corrupted him.

According to federal prosecutors, Jensen can be seen charging towards Officer Goodman in several videos. He has been indicted on five charges, including assaulting officers, but in his request for release, Jensen's attorney claims that Goodman "threatened" Jensen, who was allegedly armed with a pocketknife for "protection."

Jensen was arrested two days after returning to Des Moines, Iowa, following the insurrection and was transferred to Washington, DC, at a judge's request.

Jensen is also charged with obstructing an official proceeding, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years.