WASHINGTON — A Justice Department report has revealed that more than two dozen FBI informants were present in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, ahead of the Capitol riot, though none were authorized to participate in the breach of the Capitol building.
The report, issued by the department’s Office of the Inspector General, stated that 26 confidential human sources—FBI informants paid to provide intelligence—were in the city on the day of the riot. Four of them entered the Capitol during the breach, while 13 others crossed into the restricted security area surrounding the building.
However, the investigation confirmed that none of the informants acted under FBI orders to enter the Capitol or join the mob.
The report also found shortcomings in the FBI’s preparations for January 6, noting that the agency failed to adequately use its field offices nationwide to gather intelligence that might have foreseen the events of that day. Despite intelligence reports warning of potential violence, this “basic step” was overlooked, the Inspector General stated.
Some of the informants were in contact with or traveling alongside members of far-right groups, including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. However, the report noted that none of the informants who entered the Capitol or the restricted area were among those charged with trespassing or other crimes related to the riot.
