Questions remain about how the mob was able to so easily breach Capitol security and why it took so long to secure the building. We launched our own investigation and requested records related to security communications, threat analyses, and National Guard limitations.
Security Communications: We requested communications of senior officials regarding the attack and orders, directives, or guidance prepared, written, or approved by officials at:
-DHS
-National Guard
-Army
-DOJ
-USMS
-FBI
-DHS
-Secret Service
-NPS
and more. americanoversight.org/documents?fwp_…
We also asked for the call logs on Jan. 6 for senior officials at DHS, the National Guard, DOJ, the ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Threat Analyses: We asked DOJ, the Army, FBI, and DHS for any analysis analysis produced between Dec. 23 and Jan. 6 regarding the threat of protestors, militia groups, or domestic terrorists to the congressional certification of the 2020 election results. americanoversight.org/document/foia-…
National Guard Limitations: We asked for records of communications between senior DOD and Army officials and VP Mike Pence, Marc Short (Pence’s chief of staff), President Trump, Mark Meadows (Trump’s chief of staff), or anyone speaking on their behalf. americanoversight.org/document/foia-…
Finally, we asked the National Guard, DOD, and Army for any memos placing limits on the D.C. National Guard, including but not limited to prohibiting the troops from receiving ammunition or riot gear, sharing equipment with local law enforcement, and more.
It will take months or even years to fully understand what went wrong — and the failures that allowed the president’s mob to storm the Capitol. We’re committed to uncovering the truth, page by page, to make sure those responsible can be held accountable. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
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How the mob was able to so easily breach Capitol security and why did it take so long to secure the building? Just 1,400 Capitol Police officers were on duty at the time, and National Guardsmen didn’t arrive until hours after the invasion began.
As Americans watched the rioters storm through the building, news reports circulated that the Pentagon — which has authority over the D.C. National Guard — and the president had initially denied requests for the deployment of Guardsmen. washingtonpost.com/politics/sund-…
In September, a whistleblower claimed that Trump political appointees at DHS modified intelligence reports to downplay the threat of white supremacists.
In 2019, we asked DHS what they were doing about white nationalist terror. They sent us a report about environmentalists.
We specifically wanted to know the number of analysts devoted to working on “non-Islamist domestic terrorism threats” and if that number had changed after President Trump took office. rollingstone.com/politics/polit…
In response, DHS said it could neither confirm nor deny if it had any responsive records and attached an official report about “suspected environmental rights extremists.” americanoversight.org/document/dhs-r…
The Army’s response to our records request included a report titled “Indications of Extremism in the Military 2017 – 2019.” The report was compiled “due to indications of an increase in extremist activity by former and current military personnel.” americanoversight.org/document/army-…
Acting DHS Sec. Chad Wolf resigned today, citing “meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority.”
In August, the GAO found that Wolf was illegally appointed to his role. GAO asked the DHS IG to review whether actions Wolf took in his role were legal.
Here’s why: In 2019, former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned and Kevin McAleenan became Acting Secretary. McAleenan then changed the order of succession for the position of DHS Secretary. politico.com/news/2020/08/1…
The problem was that McAleenan wasn’t the official who was supposed to become Acting Secretary after Nielsen. GAO found that since McAleenan improperly assumed the role, the changes he made to the succession order were invalid.
For weeks preceding the assault on the U.S. Capitol, some leaders claimed the 2020 election was marred by widespread voter fraud—a lie that has no supporting evidence.
Even before the election, we were concerned about state voter fraud task forces and their use of the specter of widespread voter fraud to undermine confidence in elections. americanoversight.org/investigation/…
We sued the Georgia Sec. of State’s office for records for records related to the state’s voter fraud task force, election preparedness, and communications with political campaigns. The office released thousands of pages to us. americanoversight.org/georgias-secre…
DHS reportedly didn’t issue a threat assessment for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that became a violent mob — and it disbanded its domestic terror intelligence unit last year.
A DHS response to our FOIA request raises further questions. #FOIAFriday
Last year, @woodruffbets reported that DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis disbanded a unit focused on domestic terrorism, including white supremacist terrorism. thedailybeast.com/homeland-secur…
We asked I&A for records that would show the number of intelligence analysts within I&A assigned to work on domestic terrorism threats, including right-wing extremism.