A restaurant in Bradenton, Florida, has 'cancelled' the 'Going to Prison' party of Capitol rioter Adam Johnson. The Florida man made headlines after he was caught running away with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's podium during the January 6 Capitol riots.
Johnson, who was arrested two days after the capitol invasion, pleaded guilty to knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building. In February, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton sentenced him to 75 days in prison followed by one-year supervised release. The judge also asked the accused to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service.
Restaurant Employees Cancelled the Party
The party was scheduled to be held at a Bradenton based restaurant called Caddy's. Bradenton Herald reported that the event, which was advertised on Facebook, reads, "Come help me celebrate my last Friday of freedom before I go to prison for the lamest charge in history," the event scheduled for April 1 reads.
Speaking to WFLA , a manager at the restaurant denied having any knowledge of the scheduled event. In a statement issued the restaurant stated; "Caddy's Bradenton is a family-friendly waterfront restaurant that had no knowledge of a 'going to prison' event being planned at its location."
"This event was never discussed or planned with anyone associated with the Caddy's brand. It has been reported falsely that Caddy's has canceled this event. This event did not exist to cancel."
"These false reports have led to multiple staff being abused, receiving threatening emails, and negative social media comments," Caddy's added.
Johnson Claims the Event to be a Prank
Johnson, who lives in Tampa and is married to a doctor, claimed that the event was part of April Fool's Day prank. Daily Mail reported that sharing the same on the conservative social media site Gab, Johnson said it was just a joke.
"So I threw a public party on April Fools day for my incarceration and just like I thought, the media swallowed the whole story," he wrote. "Thank God we have journalists covering who is having parties these days."
"I was hoping to keep this bit going a little longer,' he added. 'It's both sad and hilarious that the news covered this and the internet warriors got triggered about me seeing my family and my loved ones before I leave. There is no party. Well at least not a public one."
However, his prank did create a stir on the social media. "One of Trump's terrorists, Adam Johnson, who stole Pelosi's lectern during Jan 6th riot, was going to host a 'going to prison' party before serving 75 days for his role but didn't reserve the restaurant so the restaurant declined his request," tweeted a user.
