According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Tim Gionet, better known by the moniker “Baked Alaska” from his former social media platforms, was arrested by federal agents in Houston on Friday for his alleged role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
According to the DOJ’s criminal complaint, Gionet has been charged with “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and “violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.”
Gionet, 33, is often described as a far-right activist. He gained popularity promoting Donald Trump’s populist Make America Great Again movement in 2016. Before that, he was a Bernie Sanders supporter and worked at Buzzfeed creating viral videos. He also had a gig with Milo Yiannopoulos’ “Dangerous Faggot Tour.”
A former Buzzfeed co-worker told The New York Times, “his politics have been guided by platform metrics.”
An affidavit filed in the case from FBI Special Agent Nichole Miller said Gionet unlawfully entered the Capitol following the “Save America” rally on January 6 as elected leaders were in the process of certifying the presidential election results. She said Gionet’s 27-minute-long livestream documented the mayhem from inside the building, providing evidence that he committed federal crimes. Special Agent Miller viewed the video after it had later been uploaded to YouTube.
ARRESTED: Tim Gionet AKA “Baked Alaska.” Despite having COVID, he stormed the U.S. Capitol, "Let's call Trump. He'll be happy. We're fighting for Trump." then continues, "We need to get our boy Donald J. Trump into office." 2/2 pic.twitter.com/WIy0sUwKIO
— Cleavon MD (@Cleavon_MD) January 16, 2021
She said the video shows Gionet on camera where he can be heard making comments like “America First is inevitable. Fuck Globalists,” “Occupy the Capitol,” and “We ain’t leaving this bitch.”
Miller explains how Gionet “turns the phone around to show his face and is clearly identifiable.”
“The defendant can be heard remarking ‘We are in the Capitol Building, 1776 will commence again,’” she wrote. “At approximately the 12:40 mark in the YouTube video the defendant can be heard remarking ‘Unleash the Kraken, let’s go.’ The defendant is repeatedly heard encouraging other protestors not to leave.”
Gionet can be seen entering an office and interviewing others, and at one point “picks up a telephone and acts out a purported phone call with the United States Senate personnel,” Miller added. She also describes how Gionet “sits on a couch and places his feet on a table” while encouraging others not to break anything.
According to Miller, Gionet identified himself as a member of the “media” when law enforcement asked him to move and began cursing at officers.
“You’re a fucking oathbreaker you piece of shit,” Gionet allegedly said, adding, “you broke your oath to the constitution.”
At least two of the stills in this poster (#74 and #76) are from the live stream of Tim Gionet (aka Baked Alaska) https://t.co/TnF57yKV5u
— William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 13, 2021
The FBI used images from Gionet’s livestream to ask for the public’s help in identifying others involved in the Capitol breach. According to Buzzfeed, Gionet used a streaming platform called DLive to broadcast the rebellion. His account has since been suspended, the outlet reported. Buzzfeed notes, Gionet has been permanently banned from Twitter, YouTube, Uber, GoFundMe, Patreon, and PayPal. According to The Wall Street Journal, Gionet also had his Facebook and Instagram profiles removed recently.
Gionet was already facing criminal charges in Arizona for allegedly pepper-spraying an employee at a Scottsdale bar after refusing to leave. He was charged with misdemeanor assault, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. On Friday, the Arizona Republic reported that a judge had “issued an arrest warrant after Gionet was a no-show for a City Court hearing on whether he had violated terms of a previous release by traveling to Washington, D.C., for what became the U.S. Capitol riot.” Gionet had reportedly posted a $3,000 bond.
Related: Feds Back Off Claim That Capitol Rioters Intended To ‘Capture And Assassinate Elected Officials’