Photo: Getty Images
Richard Barnett, who became famous for putting his feet on the desk of House SpeakerĀ Nancy PelosiĀ during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, wasĀ found guilty on all eight federal countsĀ by a jury in Washington, D.C.
Barnett, 62, will remain under home detention with a GPS ankle monitor until he is sentenced in May. He faces up to 20 years behind bars on the most serious count of obstructing an official proceeding.
While Barnett was combative with prosecutors while testifying during his trial, he did admit he made a mistake by entering the Capitol Building. HeĀ claimed he got swept up in the crowdĀ and was just looking for a bathroom when he found himself inside Pelosi's office.
At the time, he sat in her chair and kicked his feet up on her desk. He also took a letter from her desk and left a quarter to cover the cost of the envelope. Before he left, Barnett left a profane note for the Speaker.
"I shouldn't have put my feet on the desk," he acknowledged. "At the time, I thought it was funny."
"I'm going to suffer the consequences," Barnett added, "but I hope they see I didn't break the law and acted like a f****** idiot."
Barnett's lawyerĀ Joseph McBrideĀ told reporters thatĀ his client did not receive a fair trial.
"We're not saying there is something inherently wrong with D.C. or with the jurors," McBride said. "We're saying that we believe politics is the big elephant in the room that nobody wants to speak about here, and political considerations about this trial have damaged the jury pool to the extent that we can't get a fair trial."