Bob’s Burgers Actor Jay Johnston Pleads Guilty for Role in Capitol Attack: Faces Potential Prison Term

Actor Jay Johnston, renowned for his role in the animated series Bob’s Burgers, has admitted guilt regarding his involvement in the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021. Johnston, aged 54, faces a potential five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder. Initially appearing in a California court, he was released on a $25,000 bond in June 2023.

Alongside the civil disorder charge, Johnston was accused of obstructing officers during civil disorder, unlawfully entering restricted buildings or grounds, and impeding passage through Capitol grounds. Court documents allege Johnston participated in a group that clashed with law enforcement, with video evidence showing him taking a shield from an officer to push back against police defending the Capitol.

According to charging documents, Johnston was near the tunnel entrance and gestured for other rioters to join him, although he later conveyed in a text message that the event was not initially intended as an attack but escalated into one. “It was a mess,” another message from Johnston admitted.

The FBI identified Johnston from photos published online, with three associates confirming his presence at the Capitol on January 6. Airline records further substantiated his involvement, indicating Johnston had booked a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Washington DC, departing on January 4, 2021, and returning on January 7.

Apart from his role in Bob’s Burgers, Johnston has appeared in HBO’s Mr Show with Bob and David and had minor roles on the Fox sitcom Arrested Development. Sentencing for Johnston is scheduled for October 7, overseen by US District Judge Carl Nichols.

In a separate case on Monday, Dana Jean Bell of Princeton, Texas, pleaded guilty to assaulting a Metropolitan Police Department officer during the Capitol attack. Video evidence showed Bell cursing at officers inside the Capitol and grabbing a baton from an officer. Bell also assaulted a local television journalist outside the Capitol the same day. She faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, with sentencing set for October 17 by US District Judge Timothy Kelly.