Jon Schaffer Sentenced for Participating in January 6 Insurrection: “I Profoundly Regret My Actions”
It may be a bad day to be a traitor, but when it comes to potential punishments, Iced Earth guitarist/founder Jon Schaffer got off easy. He did have to play nice with federal prosecutors and snitch on his alt-right fashy buddies to avoid jail time, but what would you expect from a nearly 60 year old musician that LARPs as a tough guy?
Earlier today, Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation, 120 hours of community service, and must pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial settlement. All of that was in connection to his involvement in the insurrectionist attempt to overthrow the 2020 election on January 6, 2021.
Following his sentencing, Schaffer released a statement through his attorneys Marc J. Victor and Andrew Marcantel of the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm. The statement reads as follows:
“To my family, friends, and fans worldwide:
“I profoundly regret my actions on January 6th, 2021. I haven’t been a perfect man, but for the majority of my life, I’ve been a very productive man, and have tried to live my life with integrity and a disciplined work ethic. I deeply love our country and the founding principles that have inspired people from all over the world to look at the USA as a beacon of hope for all of humanity. Having traveled the world for over 30 years and having performed in approximately 100 countries, it was always a great feeling and relief when the airplane would safely land at home on US soil.
“When the global pandemic came upon us, and chaos ensued all around the US in 2020, I was very concerned about what seemed to be a collapse of our country and the rule of law. When the 2020 election took place and I saw many public officials and media outlets reporting that the election was stolen, my concern deepened. This led to my decision to go to D.C. and have my voice heard. I’m not excusing my impulsive behavior. I was wrong, and I take ownership of my actions. I own the fact that I made a huge mistake, and I wish I never would have gone there. In fact, the consequences have been devastating on my life, family, friends, business, colleagues and business partners.
“I knew immediately that I had let my emotions get the best of me and made a terrible mistake. I drove home to Indiana the following morning on Thursday, January 7th, 2021. On the 8th I found my attorneys, and at my request they immediately reached out to the authorities. I willingly surrendered and cooperated with authorities. Initially, I was charged with multiple serious federal felony offenses and feared I may spend the rest of my life in prison. I spent several months in custody following my self-surrender. I was placed in solitary confinement with horrendous conditions, which was an extremely traumatic experience. I became the first person of the hundreds of co-defendants to enter a guilty plea, and have now been sentenced to probation.
“Until now, I have resisted the strong urge to issue a public statement due to my ongoing cooperation and the wishes of federal authorities. This extended period of silence has added additional challenges to my life as a public person. Since the beginning, I wanted to express my remorse for my actions and address the legitimate concerns of my fans worldwide. I watched as one media outlet after the next dragged my reputation through the mud and condemned me for not making any statement. However, I tried to be as productive as possible in lieu of my very damaged reputation and career.
“This whole situation has been extremely difficult. However, I know that I have become a better man because of it. I used to stay so busy that I didn’t have much time for self-reflection. In the last three and a half years that’s mostly what I’ve done. I have become a member of a wonderful church and improved myself spiritually, mentally, and physically. This personal revival has inspired me to continue writing and recording music. I’m certain there will be a very positive outlook in my future artistic creations.
“To my fans who have continued to support me throughout this deeply embarrassing ordeal, I want to apologize for letting you down and thank you for keeping me going. To those fans who I have lost due to my decisions that day, I certainly understand. I humbly ask everyone to allow me to demonstrate through my actions how far I’ve come. I wish to continue to use my art to unite people, and never to divide.
“Sincerely, Jon Schaffer.”
For those that don’t remember, Schaffer was one of the first people to make it into the U.S. Capitol that day. According to the case against him, an FBI agent provided photos of Schaffer inside the building and testified that he attacked Capitol Police officers, at times using bear spray against them. Schaffer was identified as an “Oath Keepers Lifetime Member” because he was wearing a hat that said as much during the attack, which is a super smart thing to do if you don’t want to link your activities back to you and your buddies.
Keep in mind that Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy back in 2022 because of what went down on January 6, so Schaffer really got off easy. In the October 14 sentencing memorandum, originally obtained by Blabbermouth, prosecutors said Schaffer’s probation sentence was necessary because of time already served and his willingness to be a stool pigeon for the government.
“Such a sentence would be sufficient to reflect the seriousness of this offense while also accounting for the three months defendant was detained following his arrest, the defendant’s early acceptance of responsibility, and the substantial assistance he has provided to law enforcement pursuant to his cooperation plea agreement.”
It remains to be seen exactly how contritious Schaffer really is. Does he actually regret his actions or does he just regret getting caught? It’s going to take a lot of time and effort to repair the damage he did to his reputation, but I’d venture to say the traitorous attack he helped perpetuate that day did far more damage to the country. Years later, we’re still under threat of another violent incident if one particular candidate doesn’t win in the coming days and it’s all thanks to fuckfaces like Schaffer, the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and every other alt-right, neo-Nazi, fascist organization that preys on peoples’ fears and mistrust.
As for the future of Iced Earth, it’s anyone’s guess if Schaffer’s going to try to bring that back once his sentence is done. I mean, if As I Lay Dying and Marilyn Manson can try to make a comeback, why can’t a band founded and led by an insurrectionist douchebag?
