FBI's Chris Wray accuses Capitol Hill attackers of domestic terrorism
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
FBI's Chris Wray accuses Capitol Hill attackers of domestic terrorism
FBI's Chris Wray accuses Capitol Hill attackers of domestic terrorism
FBI director testifies about Jan. 6 riots, domestic terror threats
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director Chris Wray on Tuesday accused supporters of Donald Trump who carried out a deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol of domestic terrorism and vowed to hold them accountable.
"I was appalled that you, our country's elected leaders, were victimized right here in these very halls," Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"That siege was criminal behavior, pure and simple. It's behavior that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism."
It was Wray's first testimony in Congress since the attack - a failed bid to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's November election victory - was carried out by supporters of then-President Trump who, in a speech near the White House, exhorted them to march to the Capitol in protest.
The Justice Department has charged more than 300 people on criminal counts ranging from conspiracy to attacking police and obstructing Congress. The rioting led to five deaths.
At least 18 people associated with the far-right Proud Boys have been charged and nine people tied to the anti-government militia known as the Oath Keepers are facing charges they conspired as far back as November to storm the Capitol to prevent Biden from becoming president.
Biden took office on Jan. 20.
The FBI has yet to arrest any suspects in the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, or for pipe bombs that were discovered outside the headquarters of both the Republican and Democratic national committees.
The FBI has obtained a video that shows a suspect spraying bear spray on police officers, including Sicknick, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
The suspect has yet to be identified by name, and it is still unclear if the bear spray contributed to Sicknick's death.
In a newly unsealed search warrant, investigators say rioters carried weapons inside the Capitol including tire irons, sledge hammers, tasers, bear spray and, in at least one case, a handgun with an extended magazine.
"Everyone involved must take responsibility for their actions that day, including our former president," the panel's Ranking Republican Charles Grassley said.
"Now, in the wake of Jan. 6, we must seriously examine the threats of domestic extremism."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said the government has not done enough to protect against threats from far-right extremists and white supremacists, and accused the Trump administration for playing down those threats.
He added that the Trump administration "never set up a task force to combat the numerous incidents" from the far-right, and instead focused on Black Lives Matter activists.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone, Grant McCool and Howard Goller)
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You are correct Mr. Wray. That's exactly what it was.
If it wasn't domestic terrorism, then I don't know what it was. If they let this slide I guess we will have to redefine what terrorism is both foreign and domestic, because the current definitions will not be accurate.
He also said the coup has inspired foreign terrorists.
"Everyone involved must take responsibility for their actions that day, including our former president," the panel's Ranking Republican Charles Grassley said.
"Now, in the wake of Jan. 6, we must seriously examine the threats of domestic extremism."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said the government has not done enough to protect against threats from far-right extremists and white supremacists, and accused the Trump administration for playing down those threats.
He added that the Trump administration "never set up a task force to combat the numerous incidents" from the far-right, and instead focused on Black Lives Matter activists.
Grassley, himself, should be held accountable for his vote to acquit.
I thought grassley made an embarrassing spectacle of himself. what an old fool.
Anyone who voted to acquit that piece of shit former occupant of the White House is complicit as far as I'm concerned.
And they all should be removed from Congress!!!
FBI chasing 2,000 domestic terror cases; 'raw' warning shared with police before Capitol attack, Wray says
FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday described an ominous warning the night before the Capitol riots about the prospect for extreme violence as "raw, unverified uncorroborated information" — but claimed that the bureau's report was shared extensively with Capitol police and other authorities.
Wray said the report, which concluded that extremists were "preparing for war," was provided to authorities at the command level, distributed to its local Joint Terrorism Task network and also posted on a national electronic portal for review by law enforcement authorities across the country.
The FBI director's testimony before a Senate panel comes nearly a week after former U.S. Capitol Police chief Steven Sund told a separate Senate investigating committee that the intelligence never made it to him and others before the attack that left five dead, including Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick.
Sund acknowledged that the bulletin landed at the Capitol police agency's intelligence unit but was never forwarded.
Is he saying the the IU had the warning but never gave it to him?
Not sure
Way too many Trumpsters still working in government!
Far right wing fascism shouldn't be what America is about.
More uninformed bullshit. This was a one-off riot, planned and perpetrated by a couple hundred far-right extremists and white supremacists, who associated themselves with Trump. The FBI and Capitol police had prior knowledge of the threat.
Funny how little condemnation of them occurred when they were shoulder to shoulder with other right wing conservative Americans in the voting booths voting for Trump and Republicans. And while it may have been "planned" by a "couple hundred far-right extremists" it was perpetrated by thousands of right wingers who showed up and willingly followed the extremists lead after being worked into a frenzy by their lying despicable Dear Leader. Right wing domestic terror has been a far greater threat than any Islamic terror in the US for the last 20 years, simply shutting your eyes and covering your ears to that fact won't change it, denouncing and condemning white supremacy and right wing extremists in all their forms instead of defending and deflecting for them might, but apparently that is a bridge too far for some conservatives who secretly support them and their white Christian nationalist agenda.
I never heard of a 'one-off' riot before.
I guess you DO learn something new every day.
I am sure the FBI would love to find out your sources for this information.
Wray is another fucking moron that substitutes hyperbole for facts.
This was not a "siege". He needs to look up the definition before he spouts his BS.
"But they need to show the same urgency hunting down far left domestic terrorists."
No such thing
No anti-fa were present in the former occupant of the White House's mob domestic terrorists siege/insurrection.
Your usual deflection/projection/whataboutism/denial/deflection/nonsense/bullshit is duly noted
I'm a REAL DEMOCRAT!