A government investigative report shows the FBI compensated at least one confidential informant for expenses related to attending both the January 6 Capitol protest and subsequent presidential inauguration.
This financial disclosure appears in a broader Justice Department Inspector General examination detailing the presence of multiple FBI sources at the Jan. 6, 2021, demonstration, according to the 79-page document released Thursday.
The report by Inspector General Michael Horowitz outlines how this particular source was among four confidential informants who went inside the Capitol building during the protest, despite lacking authorization to enter restricted areas.
Legal analyst Jonathan Turley suggests this revelation creates potential complications for past prosecutions. “Defense counsel would not just take the government’s word for what these sources did on that day,” Turley noted in a social media post discussing the implications.
Questions about FBI involvement surfaced previously during congressional testimony. When Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pressed FBI Assistant Executive Director Jill Sanborn about agency activities on Jan. 6, she consistently declined to provide details about informant participation.
The investigation confirms a total of 26 confidential sources were present, with 13 entering restricted grounds outside the building. These informants provided intelligence about the Electoral Certification both before and during the events.
Congressional oversight committees are expected to examine why this information wasn’t disclosed earlier and whether it impacts the numerous prosecutions stemming from that day. The revelation that the bureau paid travel expenses for an informant who entered unauthorized areas has sparked particular interest among lawmakers.
The Inspector General’s findings have prompted renewed scrutiny of the FBI’s operations surrounding the Capitol protest. Critics argue these disclosures raise questions about transparency in the hundreds of related criminal cases.
Republican legislators are now calling for additional investigations into the scope of federal law enforcement’s involvement in monitoring the demonstration. The payment of travel expenses has become a focal point in demands for more detailed explanations from bureau leadership.
