Official FBI announcements or policy updates

IG Report: 26 FBI Informants Present on Jan. 6; Four Entered Capitol Building

Dec 12, 2024, 07:36 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice's Inspector General has released a report regarding the FBI's activities related to the events of January 6, 2021. The report confirms that the FBI had 26 confidential human sources (CHSs) present in Washington, D.C., on that day in connection with the events at the Capitol. Of these sources, 17 entered restricted areas around the Capitol, and four entered the Capitol building itself, though they were not authorized to do so. None of these CHSs were prosecuted. The report also states that there were no undercover FBI employees present at the Capitol during the riot, countering conspiracy theories that law enforcement instigated the violence. The Inspector General found no evidence that informants encouraged rioting or engaged in violence. While the FBI did prepare for the possibility of violence, the report noted that the agency should have done more to collect intelligence from its informants before the Capitol riot.