Dee Snider has a few choice words for former Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer, who recently pleaded guilty for his role in the Capitol riots on January 6th.
On April 16th, Schaffer pleaded guilty to two charges relating to his involvement in the riots. The metal guitarist admitted to the obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a building with a dangerous weapon (carrying bear spray). As CNN reports, a prison sentence of between 3.5 to 4.5 years has been suggested, based on a recommendation between prosecutors and Schaffer’s lawyers.
Schaffer was arrested on January 18th for his involvement in the insurrection, after he was identified in photos from the riots. Following his arrest, his Iced Earth bandmates publicly denounced him, writing “We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots.
An outspoken political conservative, Schaffer has been spotted at a number of pro-Trump rallies in the past. In an article published by German publication Die Welt back in November, Schaffer was photographed and interviewed attending a Donald Trump rally of 10,000 in Washington.
“They will go under. They mess with the wrong people, believe me,” he told the publication at the time.
Dee Snider recently took to Twitter to share a CNN article about Jon Schaffer’s guilty plea, taking umbrage with the fact he rated out his peers for a reduced sentence. “This piece of shit is an embarrassment to the metal community!,” Snider tweeted. “First he shames us with his terrorist actions on in DC, and then he becomes a rat to his own people for a lighter sentence! MAN THE FUCK UP! Own your shit! If you do the crime, do the time!”
As part of an agreement with authorities, the Iced Earth guitarist agreed to cooperate with the government in convicting other extremists connected to the riots.
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“I’m glad for our country’s sake that he’s ratting, but it speaks volumes about the man he is,” the Twisted Sister frontman continued. “I was raised differently. You commit a crime, you shut up and take your punishment. You NEVER throw others under the bus. And you can bet your ass they aren’t waterboarding this POS.”
Schaffer was facing six charges pertaining to the riots, with four of them dropped as part of the plea deal. It has been reported that Jon Schaffer has offered up information about the militia organisation Oath Keepers as part of the agreement.
“Let me be clear on this: No one should ever rat out or throw their friends, families or cohorts under the bus. That’s pussy bullshit,” Snider continued. “It’s a problem with today’s society. Everyone is so ‘tough’ until they get caught. Then they are quick to blame everyone else.”
