Secret Service knew of plans for violence 10 days before Jan. 6 riot

Freddy Brewster
·2 min read
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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: Excerpts of Secret Service emails display on a monitor during a hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. The bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack On the United States Capitol has spent nearly a year conducting more than 1,000 interviews, reviewed more than 140,000 documents day of the attack. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Excerpts of Secret Service emails are displayed on a screen during a meeting of the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

United States Secret Service agents were alerted to potential violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, at least 10 days before rioters stormed the building, according to emails and other messages obtained by the Jan. 6 committee.

“Intelligence about this risk was directly available to the U.S. Secret Service and others in the White House in advance of the Ellipse speech, in advance of the march to the U.S. Capitol,” said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank).

The committee has obtained over 1 million emails from the Secret Service and spent the month of August reviewing the documents, Schiff said. The FBI, United States Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and others gave the Secret Service intelligence they had gathered regarding potential threats, Schiff added.

The threats included “calls to occupy federal buildings,” “intimidating Congress and invading [the] Capitol Building,” and people claiming they want to “arm themselves and to engage in political violence at the event,” according to documents presented by the committee.

Schiff also highlighted how the Proud Boys, one of the groups who led the attack on the Capitol, planned their activities in the open on multiple websites that were shared with the Secret Service prior to the attack.

One source sent a tip to the Secret Service on Dec. 26, 2020, warning about the Proud Boys specifically.

“They think that they will have a large enough group to march into DC armed and will outnumber the police so they can’t be stopped,” the tipster warned. “Their plan is to literally kill people. Please please take this tip seriously and investigate further.”

The Secret Service’s knowledge of potential violence also extends to the day of Jan. 6, 2021, Schiff said, adding that according to messages the committee obtained, the Secret Service knew some protesters carried ballistics helmets, body armor, radio equipment, pepper spray and various firearms.

“The Secret Service had advance information more than 10 days beforehand regarding the Proud Boys planning for Jan. 6,” Schiff said. “We know now, of course, that the Proud Boys and others did lead the assault on our Capitol building.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.