FBI director refuses to disclose involvement of law enforcement officials in Jan. 6 riot

FBI Director Chris Wray declined to reveal the involvement of federal law enforcement officials in the riot that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, during an interview on Tuesday.

In a conversation with anchor Bret Baier on “Special Report,” Wray was questioned on the issue. Baier cited a tweet from a viewer who asked the FBI director about the individual responsible for planting pipe bombs outside the DNC and RNC that diverted the attention and resources of law enforcement officials on January 6.

The viewer asked, “With hundreds of other January 6 defendants arrested over two years, how has the bomber still not been caught?”

The viewer also inquired, “Does the FBI director feel confidently that they will come — someday be brought to justice?”

Wray replied to say that he trusted his team, which is conducting the investigation, and that the bureau had “devoted loads and loads of effort into that specific investigation.” He also mentioned that they had appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the individual responsible for the incident.

Baier inquired about the possibility of the FBI having undercover agents, paid informants, or assets within the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6. “Well, as I’m sure you can appreciate, Bret, I can’t really appropriately talk about when, where, and how we use confidential informants,” Wray responded.

FBI Director Chris Wray refuses to say if FBI had “undercover agents or paid informants or assets among the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6”

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— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 1, 2023

TRANSCRIPT:

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: I just have a couple of Twitter questions.

Ford Fischer tweets: “What I’d really like to ask the FBI director, on January 5, 2021, a still unidentified person planted pipelines at the DNC and RNC which diverted law enforcement attention and resources on January 6. With hundreds of other January 6 defendants arrested over two years, how has the bomber still not been caught? Does the FBI director feel confidently that they will come — someday be brought to justice?”

CHRIS WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: Well, I will say that I have enormous confidence in the team, the dedicated team that is focused exclusively on that investigation.

And we have devoted loads and loads of effort into that specific investigation. We have done investigative publicity, calling for the public’s help. So, our folks are working very, very hard on that investigation. And those folks, those FBI agents, analysts and professional staff, I have total confidence in them.

BAIER: And the other Twitter question we get a lot is, did the FBI have undercover agents or paid informants or assets among the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6?

WRAY: Well, as I’m sure you can appreciate, Bret, I can’t really appropriately talk about when, where, and how we use confidential informants.

BAIER: Is it classified?

WRAY: Well, we have information that is about any number of topics that is law enforcement-sensitive.

But you should not read into my inability to answer a question because of my obligations as that as a clue or a hint in any way about how accurate your reader’s tweet is.

The FBI is being criticized for its apparent lack of progress in investigating the individual who planted the pipe bombs, which were discovered and deactivated before they could detonate. The bombs, which were left outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on January 6, prompted a lockdown of the Capitol complex. 

In several cases, the bureau has been accused of using undercover agents and informants to infiltrate far-right organizations, and some have claimed that FBI agents may have incited violence at the Capitol.

The FBI has arrested over 700 people in connection with the January 6 riot, and many of them face a range of charges, including conspiracy and assaulting law enforcement officials. However, The bureau has yet to apprehend the person or persons responsible for planting the pipe bombs.