A report released Thursday by an independent watchdog investigation found no evidence that federal agents were involved in inciting the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, dispelling years of unfounded allegations by far-right political figures that the FBI was heavily involved in the attack.
There was no proof that FBI undercover agents were among the thousands of Trump supporters who rushed the building or even among the crowds of Trump supporters who demonstrated in Washington, D.C., that day, according to the Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s eagerly awaited report.
Horowitz discovered no proof that any of the 26 informants—known as confidential human sources, or CHSs in the FBI—were ordered to participate in the Capitol assault or any other unlawful behavior by members of the pro-Trump mob.
Three of the confidential informants were expressly assigned by FBI field offices to report on suspects in specific domestic terrorism cases who were anticipated to attend events on January 6—one of whom entered the Capitol during the incident, according to the IG’s findings.
23 other people were in Washington, according to the study, but none of the FBI field offices had instructed them to be there. Of those 23, 11 went into the restricted areas around the Capitol, while three went into the Capitol itself.
The article claims that none of the four informants who broke into the Capitol have been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The US Attorney’s Office responded to the report’s findings by saying that they have generally not charged those whose only offense on January 6, 2021, was entering the Capitol’s restricted grounds. As a result, the Office has declined to charge hundreds of people, and we have treated the CHSs in accordance with this strategy.
Horowitz’s report concluded that the FBI took important and appropriate actions prior to January 6 as part of its supporting role that day, despite the FBI having come under heavy fire over the past four years for not being sufficiently prepared for Congress election certification and the potential for a Capitol attack by Trump supporters.
Additionally, the study found that prior to the attack, the FBI failed to adequately search all field offices for intelligence on possible activities.
Paul Abbate, the deputy director of the FBI, told the inspector general’s office that he would have anticipated a formal canvass of sources to have taken place before January and regarded the absence of one as a fundamental step that was overlooked.
The inspector general concluded that the FBI’s judgment was incorrect, even though they had no intention of misleading Congress about the absence of canvassing field offices.
The FBI was directly criticized by Senate Democrats in a June 2023 report for not raising the alarm and disclosing vital intelligence data that would have improved law enforcement’s readiness for the events of January 6.
Lawmakers claim that in the days leading up to January 6, the FBI received a number of reports and other internet activity indicating that Trump’s followers were planning acts of violence to prevent President Biden from winning in 2020.
According to the inspector general’s new report, which was made public on Thursday, the FBI did not hold any potentially important intelligence before January 6 that was not shared with other law enforcement organizations.
More than 1,500 people from almost all 50 states have been charged by authorities with crimes ranging from seditious conspiracy to assaults on federal officials and illegal trespassing in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol.
Some FBI agents who were either present in the gathering of Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, or observing them have come to light in court proceedings over the past three years, including the seditious conspiracy prosecution of members of the far-right Proud Boys organization.
Even many lawyers for the defendants in the Jan. 6 case have denied the conspiracy idea that the FBI, or deep state, was involved in encouraging the crowd to violence, which has been promoted by right-wing media and some far-right political figures using the existence of confidential human sources.
In a statement announcing his findings, Horowitz stated, “Our review found that none of these FBI CHSs were directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6 or were authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to break the law in any other way on January 6.”
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.