Brandon Straka

Case Summary

Brandon Straka is a self-described “former liberal” and the founder of the “WalkAway Campaign,” a movement that encourages and supports those on the left to walk away from the Democratic Party, according to an FBI affidavit. Following a tip the FBI received about Straka’s alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot, federal investigators reviewed Straka's social media channels and found an hour-long video he posted of himself the day after the attack on the Capitol. He allegedly talked about how he ended up at the U.S. Capitol, saw "nothing being broken" and "nobody committing any acts of violence" or "vandalism." The FBI received tips from the public with screenshots showing Straka's alleged Twitter activity on Jan. 6. In one tweet, Straka wrote, “I arrived at the Capitol a few hours ago as Patriots were storming from all sides,” according to court documents. “It was not Antifa at the Capitol,” he allegedly wrote in another tweet. “It was freedom loving Patriots who were DESPERATE to fight for the final hope of our Republic because literally nobody cares about them. Everyone else can denounce them. I will not.” Witnesses also shared a video with the FBI, which allegedly showed Straka on the “cusp” of entering the U.S. Capitol and encouraging the crowd to take the Capitol police officers' shield as he yelled, “Take it away from him. Take the shield.”

Case History

Straka pleaded Guilty to the single charge. Sentenced 1/24/2022 to 36 months of probation; 90 days location monitoring/home confinement; $5,000 fine; $500 restitution; $10 special assessment; 60 hours community service. Straka received a full pardon on January 20, 2025

Sources

• Primary Documentation
  NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR
• Primary Documentation
  Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR

Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.