The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is exploring several felony cases stemming from the violent riots that swept the U.S. Capitol last week.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. Michael Sherwin announced the agency is looking into building several charges against the protesters.
“The FBI working with the U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country and the crux of those being in D.C., we’re looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy,” Sherwin said during a briefing on Tuesday.
He continued, “Our office organized a strike force of very senior national security prosecutors and public corruption prosecutors. Their only marching orders from me are to build seditious and conspiracy charges related to the most heinous acts that occurred in the Capitol and these are significant charges that have felonies with prison terms of up to 20 years.”
Watch his remarks below:
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1349095678195204097
FBI official Steven D’Antuono said the agency has opened 160 case files related to the violence.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
FBI official Steven D'Antuono says the bureau has opened 160 case files relatd to U.S. Capitol insurrection.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 12, 2021
"That's just the tip of the iceberg."
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday the FBI warned of calls for violence ahead of Biden’s victory certification, as IJR previously reported.
“As of 5 January 2021, FBI Norfolk received information indicating calls for violence in response to ‘unlawful lockdowns’ to begin on 6 January 2021 in Washington. D.C.,” a document reviewed by The Washington Post read.
It added, “An online thread discussed specific calls for violence to include stating ‘Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there, ready for war. We get our President, or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.”
President Donald Trump was asked on Tuesday what his role was in what happened at the Capitol, as IJR previously reported.
He defended his words prior to the events and called them “appropriate.”
At the “Save America” rally last Wednesday, Trump told his supporters to “walk down to the Capitol” and “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
He stressed, “You don’t concede when there’s theft involved.”