The arrests of participants in the Washington D.C. riots keep pouring in. Former Buzzfeed employee turned far-right media personality “Baked Alaska” is the latest to be picked up by the FBI for his involvement in the riot.
The Associated Press reports the arrest of Tim Gionet, who was arrested in Houston on Saturday. According to the Department of Justice, Gionet faces charges of violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority.
According to Special Agent Nicole Miller’s affidavit, Gionet streamed live on the DLive video platform for about 27 minutes from inside the Capitol. He can be heard in the video encouraging fellow protesters to stay. He is heard saying, “I’m staying,” and “I won’t leave guys, don’t worry.”
“We are in the Capitol Building, 1776 will commence again,” he says at the 9:40 mark of the video.
Gionet is seen walking through various offices and stopping to pick up a telephone to act out a “purported phone call with the United States Senate personnel.”
When told by law enforcement officers to move, he identifies himself as a member of the media. Shortly after, he accuses an officer of shoving him and begins cursing at the officer.
It is not known where Gionet is being held at this time.
Gionet said in a 2017 interview with Business Insider that he was given the nickname “Baked Alaska” because he is from Alaska and smoked marijuana.
