Son of prominent conservative Brent Bozell charged in Capitol riot

Authorities have charged Leo Brent Bozell IV, son of prominent conservative commentator Leo Brent Bozell III, for crimes related to the mob attack on the Capitol.

Multiple screenshots obtained by The New York Times and other media outlets show the younger Bozell in the Senate chambers on the day of the attack, which is connected to five deaths and led to the second impeachment of former President Trump.   

The Times reports that the younger Bozell is accused of entering a restricted government building, obstructing an official proceeding and disorderly conduct.

Bozell was reportedly identified through the sweatshirt he was wearing in the Senate that showed the Christian high school, Hershey Christian Academy.

According to the complaint, a witness told the FBI, “Bozell stopped being the girls’ basketball coach in March 2020, as the team could no longer practice, or play games, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

A statement from Hershey Christian Academy stated that Bozell was not “a member of the HCA’s staff or its board of directors, he is not an employee, and he is not a representative of the Academy.”

The school also shot down reports that said Bozell had worked as a girls basketball coach at the school, saying they did not have any athletic programs.

Bozell’s father is an executive committee member of the Council for National Policy, which supports conservative activists and donors. He also founded the Parents Television Council in 1995. 

The Times noted that the elder Bozell has spoken out against the Capitol riot, though he has sympathized with Trump’s supporters.

“One element went forward in lawlessness and it’s done tremendous damage to everyone else,” Bozell said in a Fox News interview, according to the Times. “I think it’s absolutely wrong.” 

Updated at 1:52 p.m.