A federal watchdog may have finally put to rest a baseless MAGA claim that the January 6 Capitol Hill insurrection was provoked by federal agents.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General confirmed in a Thursday report that the FBI had at least 26 informants in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 however there was no evidence of undercover agents.
The office said four of the informants entered the Capitol building as the riot unfolded around and 13 went into a restricted area. Nine committed no illegal activity, according to the report.
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The report also concluded that the FBI took “significant and appropriate steps in advance” of Jan. 6. “Despite playing only a supporting role in preparing for and responding to the events of January 6, the FBI recognized the potential for violence and took significant and appropriate steps to prepare for this supporting role,” the report added.
Informants obtained information on the movements of right-wing groups including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. However the report stated that “confusion and lack of coordination” contributed to an “inaccurate” FBI report to Congress.
“If you are asking whether the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and/or agents, the answer is emphatically no,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray to members of Congress last November, after several Republican members began pushing unfounded theories.
“This is not violence orchestrated by FBI sources or agents,” Wray said.
“It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway—this is not easy for me,” he said. “I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people—but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what’s right for the FBI.”
Appointed by Trump in 2017, Wray took over the agency after the former president fired his predecessor James Comey over the probe into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, Comey’s replacement did not win any favor with Trump either.
Wray announced his plans to resign from his director role on Wednesday on the heels of Trump revealing his plans to replace him with MAGA loyalist Kash Patel.
