This article contains commentary which reflects the author’s opinion
The FBI has found no credible evidence of ties between members of Congress and rioters who stormed the Capitol Building Jan. 6, though Democrats had strongly suggested that some Republican members were in contact with attackers and even gave them tours in the days before the assault.
The New York Times did report, however, that the FBI discovered a phone call between the “Proud Boys” and someone inside Donald Trump’s White House, but it isn’t clear who was involved exactly or whether Trump himself spoke on the call.
The Daily Wire notes:
Shortly after the January 6th attack, Democrat members of Congress “demanded” that the FBI investigate their Republican colleagues to determine whether any member of the GOP aided or abetted Capitol rioters either before or during a planned pro-Trump rally, slated to take place while the Senate was voting to certify the Electoral College results declaring Joe Biden the winner of the November presidential election.
“Even as Democrats on Wednesday impeached President Trump, they turned their attention to allegations that Republican members of Congress encouraged last week’s attempted insurrection, possibly providing help that enabled the mob who stormed the Capitol,” the Washington Post reported January 13th.
One Democratic lawmaker explicitly suggested that Republican members of the House gave people who would eventually take part in the riot tours of the Capitol beforehand.
“Their accomplices in this House will be held responsible,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) told the Times, in reference to a report from Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who “said in a Facebook Live broadcast that she saw Republicans ‘who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the next day.’ She said some of her GOP colleagues ‘abetted’ Trump and ‘incited this violent crowd.’”
The Times reported Saturday that data “has revealed no evidence of communications between the rioters and members of Congress during the deadly attack, the official said. That undercuts Democratic allegations that some Republican lawmakers were active participants that day.”
The paper went on to report that there’s some “evidence in the days leading up to Jan. 6 of communications between far-right extremists and lawmakers who were planning to appear at the rally featuring Mr. Trump that occurred just before the assault,” but the bureau has “not opened investigations into any members” as a result of the calls.
The FBI, however, has arrested a “mid-level” State Department aide on “charges related to the attack, including unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon,” per an NYT reportfrom last week.
Because Democrats are desperate to pin the riot on Republicans and on Trump especially, they are set to launch their own investigation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other members of her party want to establish a “9/11-style commission” to “investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex.”
But the Times’ report of the FBI’s findings ought to put the kibosh on such a commission because at this point, it would be an entirely political exercise — which is, of course, the point.