Capitol Riot Livestreamer 'Baked Alaska' Arrested

Tim Gionet's video of the event may have led to other arrests, as well
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 17, 2021 7:00 AM CST
Man Nicknamed 'Baked Alaska' Arrested For Capitol Riot Role
Far-right media personality Tim Gionet, who calls himself “Baked Alaska,” has been arrested by the FBI   (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

A far-right personality known as "Baked Alaska," whose livestream of the Capitol riots may have led to many of his fellow participants' arrests, has himself been arrested. Tim Gionet, as he's legally known, was arrested by the FBI in Houston on Saturday, per the AP. Gionet reportedly streamed video from the Capitol grounds for at least half an hour during the Jan. 6 siege, in which he could be heard encouraging other protesters not to leave, cursing and exclaiming “We are in the Capitol Building, 1776 will commence again." Per an FBI affidavit, Gionet also entered offices and identified himself as a member of the media to police before cursing an officer and then leaving the building. He faces charges of violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority.

Gionet used the platform DLive to stream under the handle bakedalaska, a nickname he said in a 2017 interview with Business Insider he was given because he is from Alaska and smoked marijuana at the time. Gionet has since been banned from the platform. However, according to the New York Times, it's possible he received as much as $2,000 from the video through a DLive feature that allows viewers to tip streamers. Meanwhile, Vice reports that the FBI has used Gionet's livestream to nab multiple rioters and has asked members of the public to watch the footage to help them identify others. Thus far, more than 125 arrests have been made.

(More Capitol riot stories.)

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