J6er Adam Johnson, also known as “the lectern guy,” has donated another series of miniature lecterns in support of fellow J6er Jay Johnston and his family.
On Jan. 6, Johnson was famously pictured holding former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s lectern inside the rotunda of the Capitol. Johnson was subsequently dubbed “The Lectern Guy” after the photo went viral and was featured in memes.
Last September, Johnson donated 10 miniature lecterns to raise funds for those imprisoned for their presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Johnson announced he had donated another series of miniature lecterns in support of Johnston, who is currently out on bond, along with his fiancée Sara Radovanovitch and their family.
"The next charity lectern auction is now live. 100% of the money raised from this auction will benefit the J6 family Jay Johnson, Sara Radovanovitch, and their young daughter who is special needs," Johnson announced on X. "Their story is much like others who have experienced the immense fallout from being labeled a J6er. Their careers have been destroyed and their lives have forever changed."
"Help me take a stand and show support for a family who needs some help," Johnson wrote.
The miniature lecterns are modeled after Pelosi’s and include a seal featuring a silhouette of Johnson holding the former Speaker’s lectern with the phrase “Take a Stand.”
Per his plea deal, Johnson cannot be involved in any monetary transactions in donating proceeds to those imprisoned following Jan. 6. The charity auction for Johnston and family is currently live on eBay.
In January, Radovanovitch launched a monthly "Free Thinkers" painting series highlighting notable patriotic conservatives to raise funds for her family leading up to fiancée Johnston's July trial date.
Radovanovitch kicked off her "Free Thinkers" series featuring the late conservative journalist and Breitbart News founder Andrew Breitbart.
"When I was sitting here trying to figure out how to process everything our family has been going through, my outlet has always been art," Radovanovitch told SCNR News. "After all, ‘politics is downstream of culture,' so who better to start off an art series with than Andrew Breitbart himself."
Radovanovitch followed up her Breitbart painting with Tucker Carlson as February's "Free Thinker."
"Tucker seemed like an obvious choice for me in this series. He was already pushing the boundaries of corporate media before being fired from Fox," Radovanovitch said. "And that only freed him to challenge narratives further and interview people whose voices are often suppressed."
Radovanovitch praised Carlson for his coverage of the Capitol riot.
"We’re both incredibly grateful for that," she said of herself and Johnston. "Right now, we’re waiting for Jay’s upcoming trial date in July. Three years of mostly being in limbo and endless calls with lawyers, unable to really move forward as our finances quickly drained away."
In March 2021, the FBI shared two heavily cropped photos to X, then-Twitter, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a man present at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The FBI appeared to claim the man was part of a group that engaged in violence that day.
The man was later identified as Johnston, an actor, writer, and voiceover artist with over 30 years' experience in the industry.
One of the out-of-context cropped photos provided by the FBI features Johnston appearing to hold a phone while the other features Johnston wearing a camouflage neck gaiter.
The actor was later dropped by his agent and effectively blacklisted from the industry after he was identified in the FBI's post. Johnston's family, including Radovanovitch, were also subjected to harassment, stalking and personal threats.
On June 1, 2021, the FBI raided Johnston’s home and held him at gunpoint in front of his family in their yard. However, the actor was not arrested by federal authorities for his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot until two years later on June 7 last year.
"Jay’s career disappeared overnight when he was blacklisted but I was able to work for a while, then nobody would hire me anymore either, so we basically hit bottom," Radovanovitch added. "At that point, you kind of just look around and say, 'Well, now what?' So, I decided to start this painting series and Jay has been working on writing."
Johnston is currently out on bond in preparation for his July trial date.
“Jay doesn’t have a violent bone in his body,” Johnston’s fiancée wrote in the family’s GiveSendGo campaign. “He is a wonderful father and devoted to his family, loved by his neighbors and always the first person to help others in need.”
Johnston has appeared in a series of films during his career, including Men in Black II, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. The actor also appeared in television series, including Mr. Show and The Sarah Silverman Program, and also voiced Jimmy Pesto on the long-running animated sitcom Bob’s Burgers from 2011 until 2021.
