The FBI Under Fire (January 6)

Hat tip Town Hall

On January 11, 2022, Jill Sanborn, Executive Asst Director for National Security in the FBI, testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the events of January 6, when the US Capitol was overrun. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointedly asked her if any FBI agents or their informants engaged in illegal acts or urged others to do so before or during the riot. Cruz also asked her whether a certain Ray Epps was an FBI agent or informant. Sanborn's repeated answers were that she could not answer the question. Cruz also asked Sanborn whether any FBI agents or "those in service" of the FBI actively encouraged acts of violence on January 6. Sanborn: "Not to my knowledge, Sir"

 https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2022/01/11/ted-cruz-fbi-january-6-riot-n2601698

As a retired DEA agent, I take no pleasure in criticizing another law enforcement agency. In the past, I have supported their attempts to fight Islamic terrorism in the US, and I still do. I believe that most FBI agents are honorable people who have also been troubled by much of what has happened over the last several years in their agency. But something is wrong at the FBI. In my mind, though J. Edgar Hoover is long gone, he created a culture that still exists to some extent. That is the attitude that they are the premier law enforcement agency in the world and that they can do things other agencies are not allowed to do.

Reading between the lines, my impression is that Ms. Sanborn is attempting to protect sources and methods, and it is true that this is legitimate to a point. But her answers are troubling in that it leads to the conclusion that FBI agents and/or their informants, operatives, or whatever you want to call them, were, in fact, among the crowd on January 6 and that they were more than just observers present to document any crimes and identify any law breakers-which would have been legitimate.

As to Ray Epps, whoever he is, Sanborn's unwillingness to answer the question as to whether he was a "fed", would seem to imply that Epps did have a relationship to the Bureau, agent, informant, or otherwise. Given his alleged statements and actions that day at the Capitol, this is indeed troubling.

Sanborn's final answer ("Not to my knowledge, Sir") is also troubling and may even approach perjury. In her position, she is in a position to know the answer to all of Cruz's questions. If she doesn't, she should be replaced on grounds of incompetency. Surely, she prepared for her appearance before the Committee. Surely, she was briefed by her colleagues before appearing.

If the answers to all of Senator Cruz's answers were "no", Sanborn would have or should have said so in no uncertain terms.

Of course, given who is in charge in Washington and who is the attorney general (Merrick Garland), I don't expect anything much to come out of this in terms of charges or discipline against Sanborn.

I also want to reiterate that I am not excusing anybody who engaged in violence and destruction at the Capitol on January 6. It was wrong, and those responsible should be prosecuted no matter who they were or what their motivation was. I still suspect (though I have no proof) that there were some Antifa types there egging the crowd on. That does not excuse those who broke the law. That does not excuse those who attacked and beat police officers that day.

But if the FBI had actual agents or informants in the crowd inciting or encouraging violence, this must be brought out.