By Evan Perez, CNN Justice Correspondent
Updated 4:37 PM ET, Thu March 4, 2021
Federal investigators are examining communications between US lawmakers and Capitol rioters
Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter.
(CNN)Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter.The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers in the days around January 6, as well as communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with members of Congress, the official said.
DC National Guard commander says ‘unusual’ Pentagon restrictions slowed response to Capitol riotThe existence of such communications doesn’t necessarily indicate wrongdoing by lawmakers and investigators aren’t yet targeting members of Congress in the investigation, the official noted. Should investigators find probable cause that lawmakers or their staffs possibly aided the insurrectionists, they could seek warrants to obtain the content of the communications. There’s no indication they’ve taken such a step at this point.
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With about 300 people facing charges, the investigation has shifted from the roundup of what law enforcement officials consider low-hanging fruit arrests of people accused of participating in the riot to those who allegedly conspired and planned the assault to disrupt the constitutional process of congressional certification of the election results.
Justice Department officials have assigned more than two dozen prosecutors, including some from outside Washington, to delve into more complex questions, including possible funding of insurrectionists and whether political figures, including lawmakers and staff, aided the attack, the US official said.
FBI Director Wray knocks down conspiracy theory that January 6 rioters were ‘fake Trump protesters saw enforcement officials say one of the first steps taken after the insurrection was to seek cell phone tower data to try to identify people at the Capitol that day, a tactic allowed under existing law.
That was necessary, the officials say, because among the multiple failures that day was the US Capitol Police allowing the hundreds of people who had attacked the building to leave without arrest. Authorities announced only a handful of arrests on January 6, and the FBI and other agencies subsequently used a dragnet across the country to find the rioters.
CNN’s Chris Cillizza cuts through the political spin and tells you what you need to know.
