WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal watchdogs launched a sweeping review of how the FBI, the Pentagon, and other law enforcement agencies responded to the riot at the Capitol, including whether there were errors in information sharing and other preparations that left the historic symbol of democracy. vulnerable to assault by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump.
The investigations, conducted by the inspectors general of the Justice, Homeland Security, Internal Affairs and Defense Departments, could be searing criticism of how the government has handled a deadly breach in the Capitol, with armed Trump loyalists raided and raided by the police. came into close contact with elected officials. The assessments will include everything from whether the FBI adequately shared information with other law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence to how the Pentagon mobilized for the Jan. 6 crisis.
The initiation of multiple, simultaneous investigations comes as shortcomings in government preparation, coordination, and response become more apparent more than a week after the riot. For example, Capitol Police have said they had prepared for only First Amendment activity in the Capitol on the day lawmakers gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Trump, even though Trump himself had his supporters. for weeks to come to Washington and had called on them to “fight hard” at a rally shortly before the riot.
The Pentagon has said Capitol police declined an offer of help days before the riot. When it became clear on the day of the event that his help would be needed, the Department of Defense had to rush to enlist a larger force to support the police.
An FBI official who initially said there was no intelligence to suggest uncontrolled violence, later acknowledged that the agency was aware of a warning on an Internet bulletin board, although the official said the message was not to an individual. was due.
At Justice, the Inspector General will investigate whether the Ministry of Justice has shared sufficient information with other authorities, including the Capitol Police, about the possibility of violence.
The Inspector General said it “will also assess whether there are any weaknesses in DOJ protocols, policies or procedures that adversely affect the ability of DOJ or its components to effectively prepare for and respond to the events at the Capitol on January 6. “
The evaluation will almost certainly include a review of the information the Justice Department – and the FBI in particular – gathered before and after the riot. It comes days after the FBI admitted that one of its field offices had put together an internal bulletin warning of possible violence against Congress.
The Washington Post reported that the Jan. 5 report from the FBI’s Norfolk field office said the bulletin contained detailed threats from extremists to wage “war.”
Steven D’Antuono, the deputy director in charge of the FBI’s field office in Washington, said that once he received the warning, the information was quickly shared with other law enforcement agencies through the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington, DC.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General said it would look at the constituent agencies’ response, focusing in part on the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. That unit issues warnings to law enforcement agencies across the country.
Meanwhile, the Interior Department’s internal watchdog will review the actions of the Park Police on the Ellipse, the site of Trump’s speech to supporters at a pre-riot rally.
And the Department of Defense Inspector General announced that it is launching a review of the Pentagon’s “roles, responsibilities and actions” to prepare for and respond to the protest Trump spoke against and the subsequent uprising in the United States. Capitol.
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Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer and Ben Fox contributed to this report.