FBI Informants, But No Undercover Agents Present for Jan. 6 Riots

What Happened?

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday that at least 26 FBI informants were present during the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol in Washington, DC.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who led the investigation, added in the 88-page report that there was no evidence of undercover bureau agents there, a long-debated question many had argued on Capitol Hill.

Instead, Horowitz revealed more than two dozen ‘confidential human sources’ (informants) were present in the crowd on Jan. 6, but only three were assigned by the FBI to be there for the event, according to a report.

One of the three confidential human sources tasked by the FBI to attend the rally entered the Capitol building, while the other two entered the restricted area around the Capitol.

The DOJ's investigation revealed that of the 26 confidential human sources, four entered the Capitol amid the riot, 13 went into a restricted security perimeter, and nine had not entered the restricted area or the Capitol.

The report concludes that 'none of the [informants] who entered the Capitol or a restricted area has been prosecuted to date.'

Horowitz adds that investigators also 'found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6.'

Why it Matters

The report findings confirm to some degree what many folks believe: that the FBI (through its informants) had a minor supporting role in responding on Jan. 6, 2021.

This is because the Department of Homeland Security had not deemed the initial protest to be worthy of a high security level.

Although as previously reported, President-elect Donald Trump had requested a National Guard presence in Washington, DC to protect his supporters at the Jan. 6 rally.

Former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, who said he spoke with Trump three days before the rally, told a House committee panel investigating the matter that an official request to 'fill' that need was never formally submitted.

Many still criticized Trump's responsiveness and influence over the event's outcome — while the president-elect still references his social media post that day, 'asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence!'

As Trump prepares for his second presidential term, one of his key moves was ensuring a trusting relationship with FBI leadership after nominating longtime ally Kashyap 'Kash' Patel as the bureau's next director in his new administration.

Not long after the news of Trump's nomination, current FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly informed bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January.

How it Affects You

No matter how the Capitol Hill riot on Jan. 6 is viewed, the safety and security of the nation was on full display as a critical moment in time.

As society reflects almost four years later, there will still be a shadow over Trump's second term. What he does over the next month or so will determine how long that shadow stays around.