Tag: Trump insurrectionists stormed the capitol

Feds Track Down Bearded Proud Boy Seen Smashing Capitol Window With Police Shield

Dominic ‘Spazzo’ Pezzola was allegedly one of the first people to shatter a window at the Capitol, allowing rioters to stream inside and unlock doors.

Prosecutors have arrested and charged two Proud Boys members on Friday—one of whom allegedly led hordes of angry MAGA supporters into the Capitol and spoke about killing Vice President Mike Pence “if given the chance,” according to court filings.

The FBI has identified Dominic Pezzola as the Capitol rioter known as “Spaz” seen breaking into the building with a police shield. According to a criminal complaint, Pezzola encouraged rioters after smashing the glass protecting the west side of the building.

Pezzola’s successful shattering of the window was one of the first breaches of the Capitol and allowed other rioters to stream inside and unlock doors for more people to storm the building. A series of open-source photographs also confirm Pezzola was the individual who broke the glass. Continue reading.

Pipe bombs found near Capitol on Jan. 6 are believed to have been placed the night before

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The two pipe bombs that were discovered on Jan. 6 near the U.S. Capitol shortly before a mob stormed the building are believed to have been planted the night before, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation and video footage obtained by The Washington Post.

The explosive devices, which were placed blocks from one another at the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees, have been largely overshadowed by the violent attempted insurrection at the Capitol. But finding the person suspected of planting both bombs remains a priority for federal authorities, who last week boosted the reward for tips leading to the person’s arrest from $50,000 to $75,000.

The FBI said its agents are “using every tool in our toolbox” and have interviewed more than 1,000 residents and business owners in the neighborhood where the devices were found. On Friday morning, the FBI released additional information that confirmed The Post’s reporting about the timing of the placement of the bombs and raised the reward offered to $100,000. Continue reading.

MN House votes to condemn insurrection and false election claims, 8 GOP lawmakers vote no

The resolution condemned violence at the U.S. and state capitols and declared support for 2020 election results.

Eight GOP state representatives voted against a resolution Monday that condemned recent violence at the U.S. and state capitols, and declared support for the certified 2020 election results. 

The resolution was introduced following a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, in which a mob stormed the halls of Congress while lawmakers were certifying electoral college results.

The resolution read: “A House resolution condemning violence and violent rhetoric directed at our United States Capitol and state capitols, and affirming support for democracy, rule of law, and the certified results of Minnesota’s election and the elections of the other states.” Continue reading.

Fox “Frontline Doctor” Was Capitol Rioter — And Source Of Deadly Disinformation

Dr. Simone Gold was among the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6. But unlike many of her fellow rioters, Gold was there not just to undermine American democracy, but also to attack public faith in coronavirus vaccines.

According to an interview Gold recently gave to The Washington Post, she delivered a speech inside the Capitol similar to one she gave at a pro-Trump rally the day before, in which she referred to the vaccine as an “experimental, biological agent deceptively named a vaccine.” Her anti-vaccination comments at the Capitol riot were part of a monthslong effort by both Gold and the medical misinformation group she founded, America’s Frontline Doctors, to erode public confidence in pandemic response measures.

Gold, who has since been arrested for her participation in the Capitol riot, founded America’s Frontline Doctors in 2020. The group received national attention in July, when former President Donald Trump retweeted a video of a misinformation-laden press conference the group held that was organized by the Tea Party Patriots. Continue reading.

‘THIS IS ME’: Rioters flaunt involvement in Capitol siege

WASHINGTON — These suspects weren’t exactly in hiding. 

“THIS IS ME,” one man posted on Instagram with a hand emoji pointing to himself in a picture of the violent mob descending on the U.S. Capitol. “Sooo we’ve stormed Capitol Hill lol,” one woman texted someone while inside the building. “I just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol,” another wrote on Facebook about a selfie he took inside during the Jan. 6 riot. 

In dozens of cases, supporters of President Donald Trump downright flaunted their activity on social media on the day of the deadly insurrection. Some, apparently realizing they were in trouble with the law, deleted their accounts only to discover their friends and family members had already taken screenshots of their selfies, videos and comments and sent them to the FBI. Continue reading.

Calls grow for 9/11-style panel to probe Capitol attack

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Momentum is growing on Capitol Hill for an independent 9/11-style commission to investigate why law enforcement agencies were not better prepared on Jan. 6 when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, breached the building and threatened to assassinate the nation’s top leaders.

Rank-and-file House Democrats are calling for a bipartisan commission that would more broadly focus on the growing threat of domestic terrorism and violent extremism after this month’s insurrection. And top Republicans on the House Administration, Homeland Security and Oversight committees — Reps. Rodney Davis (Ill.), John Katko (N.Y.), and James Comer (Ky.) — have rolled out legislation creating a Jan. 6 commission that would be comprised of five Democrats and five Republicans.

The effort got a big boost this week when Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it was all but inevitable that Congress would create a commission. Continue reading.

An FAA Employee And QAnon Follower Was On The FBI’s Radar. Then He Stormed The Capitol.

Kevin Strong reportedly believed that the insurrection on Jan. 6 would lead to World War III.

A Federal Aviation Administration employee who subscribed to the QAnon conspiracy theory was already under FBI investigation when he took part in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, federal authorities disclosed this week.

The FBI initiated an investigation into Kevin Strong, a FAA employee in San Bernardino, California, on Dec. 30, a week before the Capitol siege. A witness told the FBI that Strong believed he had “Q clearance” and that World War III was going to occur on Jan. 6. Strong, the witness said, hung a “WW1WGA” flag at his home, and believed QAnon would cover the cost of a truck he recently purchased.

Strong is now facing federal charges. An affidavit from FBI Special Agent Erin Norwood states that there is probable cause that Strong violated a law that makes it a crime to enter a restricted building without lawful authority with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government, as well as a law that makes it illegal to disrupt the orderly conduct of a session of Congress. Continue reading.

Republican says ‘classified briefings’ revealed that the Capitol riot was ‘much worse than people realized’

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Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), the first Republican lawmaker to publicly support efforts to impeach former President Donald Trump, is speaking out about the deadly Capitol riots that erupted on Jan. 6 as lawmakers worked to complete the Electoral College certification.

Although the American public watched in shock and dismay as the disturbing series of events unfolded, Katko insists the riots were far worse than reported on television. During an interview with Syracuse.com, Katko shared details about the day of the deadly U.S. Capitol riots.

While he could not offer specific details about the classified briefings he has received, he did reveal that the incident was far worse than reported. Continue reading.

FBI Arrests Woman Accused Of Stealing Pelosi Laptop During Riot

Joining the increasing number of Trump supporters arrested after storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, a Pennsylvania woman who allegedly took a laptop belonging to Speaker Nancy Pelosi was arrested Monday. The woman, identified as 22-year-old Riley June Williams, is charged with intentionally entering into a restricted building without lawful authority in addition to disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. While Williams has not yet been charged with theft, the FBI is investigating the matter and what her intentions were.

According to an FBI court filing on Sunday, a witness who self-identified as a former significant other of Williams told the bureau that Williams “intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service.” The witness also directed the agency to a 32-minute video from inside the Capitol posted to ITV News. The viral video has since been removed from YouTube.

The footage from ITV News depicts Williams in a green T-shirt and brown trench coat. Clips of her from the riot went viral for her directing rioters to repeatedly go “up the stairs” toward Pelosi’s office. Referring to Williams, a reporter can also be heard saying that the woman depicted was “disciplined, focused, with a sense of urgency directing people up a staircase.” Continue reading.

‘TRAITORS GET SHOT’ … Alleged Threat to His Kids

A Capitol rioter from Texas threatened to shoot his own children if they snitched on him to the feds … at least according to the FBI.

According to his wife, Guy Reffitt told his son and daughter, “If you turn me in, you’re a traitor and you know what happens to traitors … traitors get shot” … and it’s all spelled out in an affidavit signed by FBI special agent Thomas Ryan.

In the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, the FBI agent says Reffitt was seen in restricted areas of the Capitol during the riots. Reffitt’s accused of unlawful entry and obstruction of justice. Continue reading.