(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Of all the numerous egregious incidents of political persecution stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protest-turned-riot, Infowars host Owen Shroyer’s case ranks among the worst for its brazen attack on the First Amendment.
A journalist who neither entered the Capitol nor encouraged others to do so, Justice Department prosecutors nevertheless sought to imprison Shroyer for allegedly making inflammatory statements ahead of Jan. 6.
And instead of scolding DOJ prosecutors for seeking to imprison a journalist for First Amendment-protected activity, a federal judge granted their request—sentencing Shroyer to 60 days in jail.
But that seemingly hasn’t dampened Shroyer’s spirits. Before going to jail, he released a video on Wednesday, promising to improve himself, and encouraging others to do so, too.
“I’ll be there for 60 days. And in those 60 days, I’m going to find ways to better myself. I’m going to find a way to come out stronger, wiser, bolder and more focused. So for 60 days while I’m in there, I’m going to try to improve myself and become a better person,” he said.
“I offer you this challenge: For the 60 days I’m away, the next time you see my face and hear my voice, I challenge you to become a better person. Use these 60 days while I’m away to improve yourself. If I can improve myself in there, you can certainly improve yourself out there,” he added.
“God bless, God speed.”
Shroyer is caged at the Oakdale federal correctional institution. Mailing info is included at the tail end of his video.
He was initially charged in August 2021 with disorderly conduct and entering a restricted area of Capitol grounds. He entered a deal with the Justice Department in June to plead guilty to the trespass charge.
Even though prosecutors didn’t present evidence that Shroyer explicitly told protestors to enter the Capitol—unlike J6 provocateur Ray Epps, who has yet to be charged—his words lathered up the crowd into a frenzy, the DOJ argued.
“The events of January 6th did not happen in a bubble; individuals like Shroyer stoked the fires of discontent with the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election online, driving a mob of individuals to descend on Washington, D.C. on January 6th,” argued Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall.
“Shroyer cannot light a fire near a can of gasoline, and then express concern or disbelief when it explodes.”
A judge sentenced Shroyer to 60 days imprisonment last month.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
