FBI Missed Steps in Runup to January 6 Events, 26 Informants Were in Crowd: Reports
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) missed a “basic step” in the runup to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol but had no undercover agents in the crowd nor did it instruct any of its informants to participate in the riot or break the law.
That’s according to a new report from Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
The report found that the FBI only played a supporting role in the runup to the January 6, 2021, certification of the 2020 presidential election, and “recognized the potential for violence and took significant and appropriate steps to prepare for this supporting role.”
What Was Missed
A black mark for the FBI was that it failed to canvass its 55 field offices ahead of the January 6 events. The report suggested that if the FBI spoke to confidential human sources (CHSs) it may have helped the agency with preparations for the day.
“FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate described the lack of a canvass prior to January 6 as a ‘basic step that was missed,’ and told the OIG that he would have expected a formal canvassing of sources to have occurred,” noted the report.
To top it off, the FBI told Congress that it had indeed canvassed field offices ahead of January 6. The IG report blamed confusion for that mistake.
“We found that the FBI’s statements to Congress were not intentionally inaccurate, and that confusion and lack of coordinated communications contributed to the inaccurate reporting,” stated the report.
The report also noted the FBI failed to conduct a comprehensive threat assessment.
Undercover Sources in the Crowd
The IG report noted there were no undercover FBI employes in the crowd. However, there were 26 FBI CHSs or informants in Washington, DC, on that day.
Three of those were tasked with the FBI on reporting on domestic terrorism case subjects who were thought to be in the crowd on January 6. Out of those three, one entered the U.S. Capitol while the other two entered a restricted area.
The 23 additional FBI informants were attending the events on their own initiative and were not asked by the FBI to attend the events. Out of those, three entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 11 entered a restricted area.
“Many of these 26 CHSs had provided information relevant to the January 6 Electoral Certification before the event and that a few CHSs also provided information about the riot as it occurred,” noted the report.
The relevant information included tips on actions of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, two of the far right-wing groups that were present on that day.
The IG made one recommendation to the FBI to assess the policies and procedures it uses to prepare for events that it determines present potential domestic security issues.
The FBI concurred with the recommendation.