US Intelligence Investigates Possible FBI Link to Capitol Riot

In a stunning development, the U.S. intelligence community is investigating whether the FBI had any role in planning the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The probe comes amid lingering questions and conspiracy theories surrounding the events of that day, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Intelligence Community Launches Inquiry

Joseph Kent, chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, revealed the investigation during a Senate intelligence committee hearing Wednesday. When questioned about the possibility of FBI involvement, Kent stated, "We're looking into it right now." He did not specify which of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies is conducting the probe, though Gabbard oversees the FBI's intelligence functions.

Kent's remarks were prompted by questions from Democratic Senator Mark Kelly regarding a post Kent made on social media platform X, alleging FBI and U.S. spy agency involvement in planning the Capitol assault. Kelly cited the presence of confidential human informants run by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies within the crowd on January 6, claiming they were "directing, removing barriers, those types of things." Kent responded that the matter "has been investigated widely" and that the intelligence community continues to examine the intelligence. He further alleged that the FBI and unidentified law enforcement elements "attempted to suppress the fact" that informants were among the rioters and that intelligence infiltration of groups who stormed the Capitol had occurred. Kent suggested the FBI's Washington Field Office was likely involved and that the intelligence community was investigating.

Justice Department Watchdog Report

The investigation comes despite a Justice Department watchdog report released in December that debunked claims of secret FBI involvement in the Capitol attack. The report found that 26 FBI informants were in Washington on the day of the attack, but none were authorized to enter the Capitol or engage in violence. The report also noted that the FBI failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for relevant intelligence beforehand, a step that "could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6."

The Justice Department's inspector general found there is “no evidence” that undercover FBI employees joined the crowds at the Capitol in the days leading up to and on January 6, and none who were in Washington at the time were authorized to enter the building. Three sources in Washington at the time were dispatched to observe domestic terror suspects, Horowitz found. Of those 26 confidential sources, four entered the Capitol, and 13 others entered a restricted area around the building’s perimeter. Nine did not enter the restricted area or the Capitol “or otherwise engaged in illegal activity,” according to the report.

Fallout and Personnel Actions

The January 6th attack has had a long-lasting impact on the FBI. In February, FBI supervisors across the country received questionnaires to distribute to certain agents in their field offices containing questions about the agents' possible work on Jan 6. Capitol riot cases. The questionnaires were sent to more than 1,000 FBI agents and non-agent support personnel in field offices across the country, as well as FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The survey asked what role the respondent may have played in any cases, such as acting as an agent, providing management support or collecting online data. The survey also asked if the respondent made any arrests, conducted interviews, participated in search warrants, testified in court or appeared before a grand jury.

The questionnaire came days after Washington, D.C.'s top prosecutor, Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, was directed to fire prosecutors who were assigned to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to a memo obtained by CBS News. A separate memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered that all FBI agents who were assigned to the Jan. 6 insurrection cases undergo review.

The Justice Department has agreed to refrain from publicly identifying any FBI agents whose conduct is under review as President Donald Trump's administration examines the investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, according to a court filing Friday.

Foreign Influence Investigation

In addition to the domestic inquiry, the FBI has also been investigating potential foreign influence in the Capitol riot. This investigation includes examining payments of $500,000 in Bitcoin, apparently by a French national, to key figures and groups in the far right before the riot. The FBI's counterintelligence division is involved in this examination, which comes after years of mounting evidence that Russia and other foreign adversaries have sought to secretly support "political extremists" on the far right and far left.

Russian state and proxy media outlets "have amplified themes related to the violent and chaotic nature of the Capitol Hill incident, impeachment of President Donald Trump, and social media censorship," according to an unclassified intelligence report. Chinese media, meanwhile, "have seized the story to denigrate US democratic governance, casting the United States as broadly in decline – and to justify China's crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong."

Pardons and Clemency

In January, President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in the assault on the Capitol. Upon his inauguration on January 20, 2025, he erased the convictions of all but 14 of about 1,270 people. The remaining 14 people, though their convictions stood, were eligible for immediate release from prison, as he commuted their sentences to "time served."

Implications and Future Outlook

The ongoing investigations into the January 6th Capitol riot continue to raise questions about the security and integrity of American democratic institutions. The probe into potential FBI involvement adds another layer of complexity to the already controversial event. As the investigations continue, the American public awaits answers and accountability for the events of that day. The outcome of these investigations could have significant implications for the FBI, the intelligence community, and the future of American politics.