Jay Johnston, ‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor, will be arrested on January 6
Jay Johnston, a comedic actor known for his work on the animated sitcom “Bob’s Burgers,” was arrested in California on Wednesday and charged with obstructing police officers during the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol.
The actor was identified in CCTV footage of police shoving officers and helping other rioters at the Capitol, the FBI said
Mr Johnston, 54, was charged with four charges including commotion and entering a prohibited building. An FBI affidavit says that closed-circuit television footage shows Mr. Johnston using a shield stolen from the Capitol Police Department to participate in a mob attack on officers defending a tunnel entrance to the building.
Mr Johnston’s name surfaced in connection with the March 2021 riot, when amateur sleuths said they recognized him in photos shown in a FBI call for tips on Twitter. Colleagues on the “Harmontown” podcast also tweeted that they recognized Mr. Johnston, who appeared in small roles in “Arrested Development” and “Anchorman,” among other comedies.
“I’m not a detective, but I do know Jay,” Cassandra Church, who worked on “Harmontown” with Mr. Johnston, wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted. ‘He said he was there. And that’s him in the picture. So…”
The FBI said three of Mr. Johnston’s associates identified him in the Jan. 6 photos.
An employee provided the FBI with a text message in which Mr. Johnston acknowledged that he was at the Capitol on January 6, stating, “The news presented it as an attack. It actually wasn’t. Thought it changed a bit in that. It was a mess. Got maced and tear gas.”
Mr Johnston is also said to have helped other rioters by pouring water over their eyes after being sprayed.
The everyday beast reported in December 2021 that following the January 6 riot, Mr. Johnston was banned from voicing his recurring character, Jimmy Pesto Sr., on the Fox show “Bob’s Burgers”.
More than 1,040 people have been charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors have indicated that there may be an additional 1,000 people who could eventually be charged, according to people familiar with the case.
Long Island funeral home owner Peter G. Moloney was also charged Wednesday in the department’s investigation into the riot. He is accused of spraying an insecticide on police officers guarding the Capitol and attacking members of the news media.
Last month, Richard Barnett, who was photographed with his boot on speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the attack, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts in January.
Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, was given the harshest sentence yet in criminal cases stemming from the attack on the Capitol. He was sentenced last month to 18 years in prison for his seditious conspiracy conviction.
Mr. Johnston has a long list of television and film credits, mostly in comedic roles. He was a regular on the sketch comedy program ‘Mr. Show” with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. He more recently appeared in an episode of “Better Call Saul”, starring Mr. Odenkirk.
A lawyer for Mr Johnston did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alan Feuer reporting contributed.