This Day in Metal: January 6th 2021 Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer Was Part of an Angry Mob who Stormed the Capitol

On January 6, 2021, an angry mob of pro-Donald Trump supporters descended upon the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in support of the then-U.S President following his defeat  in the 2020 Presidential Election. Their aim was to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-Elect Joe Biden.

However, the attack proved unsuccessful in preventing the election results from being certified. Furthermore, according to the House Select Committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election.

Chief songwriter and guitarist John Schaffer of Iced Earth who was part of the aforementioned mob was the first defendant to plead guilty; more than 630 people have now done so. Another 110 defendants had been found guilty at trial. According to the latest update from the Justice Department, nearly 600 people who participated in the riot have been sentenced to date.

Schaffer will be sentenced for his participation in United States Capitol attack on February 20th, 2024. The sentencing date was set by U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta, who issued the following order on Schaffer's sentencing:

"The Court hereby refers Defendant Schaffer to the U.S. Probation Office for preparation of a presentence investigation report. The Final Presentence Investigation Report shall be due on or before February 6, 2024. The Parties' Sentencing Memoranda shall be due on or before February 13, 2024.

"Replies, if any, shall be due on or before February 16, 2024. Reply briefs shall be limited to five pages. Sentencing for Jon Ryan Schaffer is hereby set for February 20, 2024 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 10 before Judge Amit P. Mehta. Signed by Judge Amit P. Mehta on 8/11/2023."

Several musicians and performers took to social media to comment on the situation with Schaffer. Dee Snider was the most vocal:

THIS PIECE OF SHIT IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE METAL COMMUNITY! First he shames us with his terrorist actions on in DC, and THEN he becomes a rat to his own people for a lighter sentence! MAN THE FUCK UP! Own your shit! If you do the crime, do the time!"