Far-right internet personality 'Baked Alaska' to serve 60 days
WASHINGTON - A far-right internet personality who streamed live video while he stormed the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Tuesday to two months of imprisonment for joining the mob’s attack on the building.
Anthime Gionet, known as “Baked Alaska” to his social media followers, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Trevor Mcfadden sentenced him to 60 days behind bars followed by two years of probation. Gionet had faced a maximum of six months of imprisonment.
Gionet incriminated him- self and other rioters with the video that he streamed to a live audience of roughly 16,000 followers. The 27-minute video showed him encouraging other rioters to stay in the Capitol.
“You did everything you could to publicize your misconduct,” the judge told Gionet. “You were there encour- aging and participating fully in what was going on.”
The judge allowed Gionet to remain free until he must report to prison. After his sentencing, Gionet told reporters he views his sentence as a “win” and said he plans to write a book while in jail.
Despite his guilty plea, Gionet said he didn’t think he was breaking the law on Jan. 6 and doesn’t regret being there.
“I have grown immense
amounts,” he said outside the courthouse. “But I still hold firm that I was there
because I believe the election was fraudulent.”
Inside an office for Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, Gionet filmed himself pick- ing up a telephone and pretending to report “a fraud
ulent election,” parroting former President Donald Trump’s baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
“We need to get our boy, Donald J. Trump, into office,” Gionet added.
Gionet, 35, worked at BuzzFeed before he used social media videos to become an influential figure in far-right political circles.