Carlson cited a “cryptic” statement on Twitter from Jan. 6 congressional committee about interviewing a suspected undercover government actor related to last January’s rally-turned-riot.
QUICK FACTS:
- Fox News’ Tucker Carlson made the case that the Department of Justice likely had some role in the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill, during a recent show.
- The Fox commentator pointed to both a confusing tweet from the Jan. 6 congressional committee about questioning one Ray Epps, as well as the testimony from an FBI official who refused to deny that federal agents were involved in violence on the day in question.
- According to The National File, the statement from the Jan. 6 committee included a false claim that there was no support for the idea that Epps, the individual they questioned, worked on behalf of the FBI.
- The publication reported that Epps was removed from the FBI Wanted list without being charged for any crimes, which supports the assertion that he could have brokered a deal with the law enforcement agency.
- Additionally, in her statement before Congress, FBI official Jill Sandborn refused to either confirm or deny that any FBI agents or confidential informants were involved in the events in question.
WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAID:
- “The Select Committee is aware of unsupported claims that Ray Epps was an FBI informant based on the fact that he was on the FBI Wanted list and then was removed from that list without being charged,” tweeted the Committee yesterday afternoon,” the tweet in question read.
- “The Committee has interviewed Epps. Epps informed us that he was not employed by, working with, or acting at the direction of any law enforcement agency on Jan 5th or 6th or at any other time, & that he has never been an informant for the FBI or any other law enforcement agency,” the committee’s official account went on.
- “The Select Committee is continuing to gather facts about the violence of January 6th and its causes,” the committee’s tweet said. “If you have information you want to share with us, submit it to our tip line.”
BACKGROUND:
- The Jan. 6 congressional committee has committed to get to the bottom of any and all organizations behind the pro-Trump rally that devolved into a riot during the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
- Epps was seen in multiple videos encouraging those on the side of the Capitol Building with barricades and a police line to breach the line and enter the building without permission.
- Epps was on the FBI’s most wanted page for around six months before being removed without any charges being filed. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointed out that he was also not charged in relation to the Jan. 6 events.
