The man who was famously pictured stealing a lectern from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6 riots is running for public office in Florida. 

Adam Johnson, 41, became known as 'The Lectern Guy' after the photo, which shows him grinning and waving while carrying the stand, went viral. 

On Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the January 6 riot, Johnson filed the paperwork to run as a Republican for an at-large county commission seat in Manatee County, just south of Tampa. 

In 2021, after the events of January 6, he was arrested and charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building. 

Johnson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 75 days in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service. 

President Donald Trump pardoned all January 6 defendants on the first day of his second term, but Johnson had already served out all the elements of his sentence by that time. 

In an interview with WWSB, Johnson said his decision to file the paperwork to run for office on the anniversary of January 6 was, 'definitely good for getting the buzz out there.'

During his sentencing, he told US District Judge Reggie Walton that stealing Pelosi's lectern and posing for pictures with it was a 'very stupid idea,' but he has since downplayed the severity of his actions. 

Adam Johnson, 41, became known as 'The lectern guy' after this picture of him during the January 6 riot went viral

In 2021, after the events of January 6, Johnson was charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building, and he was sentenced to 75 days in prison

This is how he now describes what happened: 'I walked into a building, I took a picture with a piece of furniture and I left.'

And in the interview with WWSB, Johnson equated the misdemeanor charge he was found guilty of to jaywalking. 

'I think I exercised my First Amendment right to speak and protest,' he added. 

According to Johnson's campaign website, which emphasizes that he is a father of five and a small business owner, he is running because he is 'Tired of watching MAGA principles get ignored at the local level.'

The website promises to 'fix Manatee fast' and 'root out the corruption that's been costing you money and destroying our quality of life.' 

Johnson said he objects to high property taxes and overdevelopment in Manatee County, claiming that its current leaders are wasteful.