John Sullivan, the 26-year-old left-wing activist who recorded from close range the video of a woman’s fatal shooting during the Capitol siege on January 6, was released without bail on a handful of federal charges.
During a virtual trial Friday, a federal judge in Utah said prosecutors did not reach the legal threshold to hold him in custody because he is awaiting further court proceedings.
Sullivan, who told Fox News last week that he had entered the Capitol to “document” the events that were going on, is accused of participating and encouraging rioters as they swept through the building.
The chaos left at least five people dead, including the woman who filmed Sullivan and a Capitol police officer.
LEFT ACTIVITY LOADED IN CAPITOL RIOT After saying he was just there after ‘DOCUMENT’
Sullivan is expected to stay off social media, hand over his passport and be under house arrest. He will also have to stop working for the Insurgence USA activist group he founded, although he does not have to give up control.
In addition, Sullivan, who acted with a gun during the summer, is now banned from owning firearms.
The arrest by the FBI took place Thursday in his home state of Utah. Sullivan could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.
According to a criminal complaint, the video that recorded the former Olympic skating match for his social media accounts was later given to the FBI as evidence.
Inside the building, he told rioters that “we should burn these s —” and “this is our house m ————,” according to a statement signed by the FBI’s special agent Matthew Foulger.
“We have achieved this —,” he said at another point from within the mob. “We did it together. F — yes! We are all part of this history.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Wednesday, Sullivan said he was taking action to create a relationship with the protesters.
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Prosecutors plan to hear his case in Washington DC. He has another case pending in Provo, Utah, in connection with a protest he organized in June. At the event, someone who was present shot a motorist during an argument.
Black Lives Matter Utah told Fox News on Friday that Sullivan is not a member, has never attended a meeting and that he has no affiliation with the group.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.