Texas’ top law enforcement official is set to appear alongside a man known as the “Lectern Guy” who served prison time for being among the crowds that broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 to protest President Donald Trump’s election loss.
Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate against his fellow Republican, Sen. John Cornyn, is one of the “special guests” headlining a shooting event hosted by the group Texas Gun Rights (TXGR) on September 13. Another one of the “special guests” is Adam Johnson, who became one of the most recognizable faces of the Jan. 6 riots when he was photographed inside the Capitol grinning and carrying then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the halls.
Recent polls show that Paxton and Cornyn, the incumbent, are in a tight race.
Paxton, whose campaign did not respond to a request for comment, has his own history with Trump’s effort to subvert the 2020 election. As attorney general, he filed a Supreme Court lawsuit in December 2020 that sought to overturn the election by invalidating millions of ballots in four battleground states. The suit was subsequently rejected and a disciplinary committee of the State Bar of Texas later filed a lawsuit of its own seeking to sanction Paxton for what it argued was a case based on “misrepresentations and false statements.” Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court dismissed that suit.
In addition to playing a role in the legal efforts that were mounted by Trump allies to reverse his loss, Paxton traveled to Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 and participated in at least one of the protests that preceded the storming of the Capitol. On that fateful day, Paxton appeared on stage at a rally where he touted his work to overturn the election.
“We will not quit fighting,” Paxton said. “We’re Texans. We’re Americans. And we’re not quitting.”
While he unabashedly joined the fight against Trump’s loss on Jan. 6, Paxton distanced himself from the violent crowds that stormed the Capitol. In February 2021, when he was questioned about his participation in the day’s events by a state senator, Paxton claimed he and his former wife “left after the speeches.”
“We went and had lunch and people did what they did,” Paxton said.
One of those people was Johnson, who climbed scaffolding and entered the Capitol building. Once inside, he was filmed encouraging the mob to break down the doors to the House chamber.
Johnson chronicled his day on social media, including posting one Facebook photo that he captioned “Riot!!!” Along with his own postings, Johnson ended up in a picture taken by Getty Images’ Win McNamee. The shot, which depicted Johnson waving and toting the lectern, became one of the most iconic images of the day. Johnson initially reveled in the attention and boasted that he “broke the internet.” However, as a result of that photo, Johnson, who deleted his social media presence, was identified by acquaintances.
In early 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty in a federal court and was sentenced to 75 days in prison and a $5,000 fine. At the time, Johnson was apologetic and called his decision to pose with Pelosi’s lectern “very stupid.”
“I am pleading guilty because I am guilty,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s plea agreement specified that, for five years, the government would have rights to the profits if he produced a book or “something of that nature” based on the experience.
In January, within days of his re-election, Trump pardoned Johnson along with nearly all of the people who had been convicted or were awaiting trial as a result of their participation in the Capitol riot. After receiving his pardon, Johnson made statements minimizing his crime. Johnson also has begun selling merchandise including autographed photos of himself inside the Capitol and apparel decorated with a silhouette of him carrying Pelosi’s lectern. Based on the Internet Archive, Johnson’s merch store went online in February of this year, the month after he received his pardon.
Johnson did not respond to a request for comment about his relationship with Paxton or questions about whether his pardon meant the government would not profit off of his Jan. 6-related commercial endeavors.
Paxton’s appearance with Johnson is one of many examples of Republicans increasingly associating with Jan. 6 rioters in the wake of Trump’s pardon spree. The shooting event that features the pair is sponsored by multiple local politicians and GOP organizations in Texas.
TXGR, the group hosting the clay shoot, bills itself as “the ONLY No Compromise gun rights organization that exists.” The group did not respond to requests for comment. Other “special guests,” sponsors, and “VIP shooters” who will be participating in the event with Paxton and Johnson include State Rep. Wes Virdell (R), a “concealed carry fashion model,” and a pro-gun blogger known as the “Pew Pew Jew” who has written posts touting his ownership of a “Nazi gun” from World War II.
