Who's Elijah Schaffer? Pro-Trump journo gloats about Nancy Pelosi's vandalized office, Internet says 'arrest him'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite of offices in the US Capitol on Wednesday was vandalized as rioters flipped tables and rummaged through desks as a large mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building. Elijah Schaffer was among the protesters who vandalized Pelosi's office and tweeted pictures while it was being ransacked. He tweeted: "Breaking: I am inside Nancy Pelosi's office with thousands of revolutionaries who have stormed the building. To put into perspective how quickly staff evacuated, emails still left on the screen alongside a federal alert warning members of the current revolution," with picture of an open email account on one computer. After realizing he might have just tweeted about committing a crime, he deleted the tweet.
But not before others had taken screenshots of it. One tweet clapped back: "Breaking: You're going to jail," posting a picture of Schaffer's deleted tweet, while another tagging CNN's White House correspondent, Jim Acosta, wrote, "This guy bragging about breaking into Pelosi’s office."
Breaking: You’re going to jail. pic.twitter.com/aDh6Uyy8Pk
— Atticus Vest ➐🦺🔥🌱🦺🌹 (@Zinnsgh0st) January 6, 2021
This guy bragging about breaking into Pelosi’s office. pic.twitter.com/8vJlqzSkar
— Rhiannon (@rhiannon667) January 6, 2021
CNN had earlier reported on how a note was left on a desk in Pelosi's office atop a computer keyboard. The note was written on a manila folder in red ink. "WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN," the note said.
Schaffer, after deleting the tweet, tried to defend it and why he had gleefully posted pictures of a Hill staffer's open email account. "To clarify, I am not personally involved in the events today in DC I’m a full-time reporter & regularly document chaotic domestic situations to help inform Americans. The occupiers called themselves 'patriots' & were chanting 'revolution' hence the choice of identifying words," he said in his clarifying tweet.
The right wing commentator is an "investigative reporter" with Blaze TV and a host of YouTube show 'Slightly Offensive'. In the past he has often criticized "violence, vandalism, and arson" committed by Antifa elements. He also pinned a tweet in which he said: "To the extremely dishonest slanderers I have a federal congressional press license and police did not have a problem with me reporting on the events How else do you think I wasn’t arrested & was allowed to leave / cross police lines? Some of you guys don’t get how this works."
To clarify, I am not personally involved in the events today in DC
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) January 6, 2021
I’m a full time reporter & regularly document chaotic domestic situations to help inform Americans
The occupiers called themselves “patriots” & were chanting “revolution” hence the choice of identifying words
To clarify, I am not personally involved in the events today in DC
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) January 6, 2021
I’m a full time reporter & regularly document chaotic domestic situations to help inform Americans
The occupiers called themselves “patriots” & were chanting “revolution” hence the choice of identifying words
Some tweets however said it was too late for Schaffer to delete his tweet since he had already confessed. "Too bad that won't save you from prosecution for scrolling through a secured government computer without authorization. See 18 USC 1030. Have fun." Keith Olbermann, political commentator and sports journalist, tweeted: "This @ElijahSchaffer deleted this tweet from 2:44 PM ET, probably because he provided evidence in real time of several charges of sedition," while Eisner award winnng writer and well-known manga translator Zack Davisson wrote: "Arrest @ElijahSchaffer for treason and insurrection."
Too bad that won't save you from prosecution for scrolling through a secured government computer without authorization. See 18 USC 1030. Have fun 🙃 pic.twitter.com/xkTnlaGUZj
— Ari Cohn (@AriCohn) January 6, 2021
This @ElijahSchaffer deleted this tweet from 2:44 PM ET, probably because he provided evidence in real time of several charges of sedition 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/9t6lWNqDQR
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) January 6, 2021
Arrest @ElijahSchaffer for treason and insurrection. pic.twitter.com/TKbG0eoxgJ
— Zack Davisson (@ZackDavisson) January 6, 2021
The Blaze has not yet publically commented on the behavior of their reporter.