Mr. Show and Bob's Burgers actor Jay Johnston charged for allegedly storming U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6

Shania Russell
·2 min read
3
Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston

Neilson Barnard/Getty Jay Johnston

Jay Johnston, the actor and comedian best known for his work on Mr. Show, Arrested Development, and Bob's Burgers, has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Court documents reveal Johnston was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles on four charges in connection with the attack, including felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder. Per the criminal complaint, Johnston was allegedly among a large group of rioters who entered the tunnel and "confronted law enforcement officers at the West Plaza of the United States Capitol." Pictures included in the complaint allegedly show Johnston assisting rioters with water and using stolen U.S. Capitol Police shields in the confrontation.

In March of 2021, the comedian was quickly identified after allegedly appearing in a pair of photos shared by the official FBI Twitter account in March of that year. Four days later, Johnston's attorney contacted the FBI's National Threat Operations Center.

The complaint notes that the FBI interviewed three "current or former associates of Johnston," all of whom identified Johnston in photos from the riot. It reads, "One of these associates provided the FBI with a text message in which Johnston acknowledged being at the Capitol on January 6, stating, 'The news has presented it as an attack. It actually wasn't. Thought it kind of turned into that. It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed and I found it quite untastic.'"

The Daily Beast reported in late 2021 that Johnston's alleged participation in the riot resulted in him being "banned" from performing in Bob's Burgers, where he voiced Jimmy Pesto Sr. The actor had appeared in 43 episodes over the course of 11 seasons. According to IMDB, his last appearance was in the season 11 episode "Bridge Over Troubled Rudy," which aired on May 2, 2021.

More than 1,000 people have been charged in relation to the Capitol attack. The investigation remains ongoing.

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