Originally published September 20, 2023 9:00 am PDT
A recently disclosed testimony has shed light on the magnitude of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) involvement during the January 6, 2021 Capitol event.
Steven D’Antuono, a former assistant director of the FBI, revealed to the House Judiciary Committee in a closed-door session that the bureau had so many “Confidential Human Sources” (CHSs) from various field offices at the Capitol that they “lost count,” according to a New York Post report.
The revelation led to a subsequent audit to determine the exact number.
D’Antuono shared, “We started getting responses back” from the FBI headquarters in order to grasp the extent of the FBI’s undercover operations on that day.
The purpose was to ascertain which field offices had embedded their informants within the masses present.
Highlighting one specific instance, D’Antuono stated that a compensated informant affiliated with the Kansas City field office had relayed to his FBI contact that he was among the throng pushing into the Capitol.
This informant conveyed, “while they were in the crowd, I think, saying that they were going in,” and attempted to intervene in some of the unfolding situations before leaving the scene.
While D’Antuono refrained from divulging the exact number, he mentioned that the audit confirmed “a handful” of informants were there on the day.
Furthermore, according to data from the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, the FBI annually allocates an average of $42 million to its Confidential Human Sources.
This expenditure has drawn scrutiny, especially considering the concerns regarding the adequacy of the screening processes for such informants.
The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan (R-OH), in his communication with FBI Director Christopher Wray, characterized D’Antuono’s statements as “extremely concerning.”
He remarked that the evidence points to the possibility that the “FBI cannot adequately track the activities and operations of its informants,” and even suggested a loss of control over its CHSs during the Jan 6 event.
Jordan further noted the concerns previously identified by Special Counsel John Durham about the FBI’s operations with CHSs.
“These revelations reinforce existing concerns” about “the FBI’s use of, and payment to, CHSs who have fabricated evidence and misrepresented information,” he stated.
Highlighting an earlier report, Jordan continued, “The Justice Department Inspector General also identified critical problems in the FBI’s CHS program,” specifically citing gaps in the vetting process and occasional oversights in evaluating an informant’s trustworthiness.
In response, Jordan has requested Director Wray to furnish a comprehensive debrief on the bureau’s deployment of paid informants on Jan 6, 2021.
Additionally, he seeks to review any advisory communications given to the FBI CHSs prior to their deployment on that day and all subsequent reports generated post-event.
Further adding to the complexity of the matter, Wray has been prompted to disclose reports pertaining to former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, the author of the contentious dossier on alleged Trump-Russia relations.
The presence of FBI informants at the Capitol riot continues to be a point of contention in ongoing trials.
