None Authorized to Break Laws or Incite Violence, DOJ Inspector General Finds

Washington, D.C. - December 12, 2024

A comprehensive report from the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has shed light on the FBI's involvement on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, revealing that there were at least 26 FBI informants present during the tumultuous events.

The OIG's investigation, released today, confirms that while the FBI did have a significant number of confidential human sources (informants) on the ground, none were officially authorized to enter the Capitol or engage in any illegal activities such as inciting violence. Despite this, the report details that four of these informants did enter the Capitol building, and another ten went into restricted areas around it.

This revelation comes after months of speculation and conspiracy theories suggesting that federal agents might have played a role in orchestrating the riot. However, the OIG report explicitly states that no FBI undercover agents were part of the protest crowds or inside the Capitol that day.

The findings also highlight a critical oversight in intelligence gathering. According to the report, the FBI failed to canvass all its field offices for information from informants that could have helped law enforcement better prepare for the potential unrest. This lack of coordination was further compounded by an initial misstatement from the FBI to Congress about having conducted such canvassing, which the OIG found to be an unintentional error.

The report has sparked a mix of reactions across the political spectrum. Some have used this information to argue that the FBI's presence and actions might have influenced the events, while others see it as part of standard law enforcement practices for monitoring potential threats.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has previously dismissed claims of FBI orchestration in the riot, did not comment directly on the new findings but has consistently maintained that there was no FBI operation to incite or organize the violence on January 6.

This story, originating from the Justice Department's internal watchdog, underscores the complexities of managing informant networks during high-stakes public events and the challenges of intelligence sharing among agencies. It also reignites discussions on transparency, accountability, and how law enforcement agencies handle confidential sources during national security events.