Jason Kessler, the organizer of the “Unite the Right” rally that claimed the life of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, has been indicted by an Albermarle County grand jury on a felony perjury charge.
The charge comes from a sworn statement that Kessler made back in January. Court records indicate that he gave a statement alleging that he was assaulted by James Taylor on the Downtown Mall on January 22, while attempting to acquire signatures for his petition to get a man named Wes Bellamy removed from the Charlottesville City Council.
Taylor alleges that when he refused to sign Kessler’s petition, Kessler punched him and was subsequently charged with assault. On January 23, Kessler filed an assault complaint against Taylor, claiming that the man, “grabbed the petition and [Kessler’s] arm, violently shaking to separate the two,” according to CBS19.
Video footage later revealed the Kessler’s testimony was not factual. The assault charge was promptly dismissed and Kessler plead guilty to an assault charge in April and received 50 hours of community service.
The perjury charge carries a potential sentence of one to ten years in prison, and up to $2,500 in fines.
