No evidence Antifa or 'fake' Trump supporters spurred Capitol riot, FBI's Wray testifies

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday sought to beat back right-wing conspiracy theories suggesting that fake supporters of former U.S. president Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

It was Wray's first testimony in Congress since the attack a failed bid to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's November election victory was carried out by supporters of Trump who, in a speech near the White House, exhorted them to march to the Capitol in protest.

"I was appalled that you, our country's elected leaders, were victimized right here in these very halls," Wray testified before the Senate's judiciary committee.

"That siege was criminal behaviour, pure and simple. It's behaviour that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism."

Early on, Republicans on the panel sought toequate the Jan. 6 riot to the occasional violence that ensued in months of racial justice protests in dozens of U.S. cities last year.

The senior Republican on the panel, Chuck Grassley, made repeated references to Antifa and violence committed by those who might be described as being left on the political spectrum, including a fatal shooting incident in Portland last year and the near-fatal shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise in 2017 by a suspect who posted a photo of Bernie Sanders on his Facebook profile.

But Wray was unequivocal in terms of what the agency has learned so far aboutthe events ofJan. 6.

"We have not to date seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribing to Antifa in connection with the 6th," he said.

Last month in another Senate hearing, Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin brought up the possibility that "agent provocateurs" and "fake Trump protesters" had circulated amongthe crowd on Jan. 6, citing an article by a right-wing think-tank.

Wray said there had been no evidence presented yet of fake Trump protesters crashing the event, which appears to have been planned for weeks according to previous testimony, and he reiterated his assertion from 2020 hearings that white supremacists "have been responsible for the most lethal attacks over the last decade" in terms of domestic terrorism.

Hundreds charged so far

The U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 300 people on criminal counts ranging from conspiracy to attacking police and obstructing Congress.

Five people in attendance died that day, including a Trump supporter who was fatally shot and a Capitol police officer who was killed in circumstances that are still unclear. Three others suffered fatal medical episodes, according to reports.

At least 18 people associated with the far-right Proud Boys whichCanada labelled a terrorist group last month have been charged and nine people tied to the anti-government militia known as the Oath Keepers are facing charges they conspired as far back as November to storm the Capitol to prevent Biden from becoming president.

Biden took office on Jan. 20.

Federal investigators including the FBI have come under scrutiny since Jan. 6 over why more was not done to protect the Capitol ahead of the attack.

On Jan. 5, the FBI's Norfolk, Va., office distributed a raw, unverified intelligence report which warned that violent extremists intended to disrupt Congress.

Still unclear how Capitol Police officer was killed

Wray told lawmakers on Tuesday the intelligence was shared with other law enforcement agencies three different ways, but acknowledged he personally did not see the report until a few days later.

As to why other top law enforcement officials did not see it, Wray said: "I don't have a good answer to that."

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said to Wray: "What I don't understand is why this ... raw intelligence didn't prompt a stronger warning and alarm."

WATCH | Capitol Hill riot was domestic terrorism, says FBI director:

FBI director calls Capitol Hill riot domestic terrorism

4 years ago

Duration 2:03

FBI director Christopher Wray told a U.S. Senate committee that the Capitol Hill riots on Jan. 6 were an act of domestic terrorism and said there is no evidence to link the attack to fake protesters from the far left.

The FBI has yet to arrest any suspects in the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, or for pipe bombs that were discovered outside the headquarters of both the Republican and Democratic national committees.

The FBI has obtained a video that shows a suspect spraying bear spray on police officers, including Sicknick, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.

Citing an ongoing investigation, Wray said he couldn't yet disclose a cause of death for Sicknick.

Democratsand some Republicanscondemned Trump for his weeks of false claimsleading up to Jan. 6, that the election was stolen. He repeated that claim in his first significant speech since leaving the presidency last week.

But Wray said he stood by comments made by former attorney general Bill Barr, who had infuriated Trump after the election when he said the Justice Department did not have evidence of any widespread election fraud.

"We are not aware of any widespread evidence of voter fraud, much less that would have affected the outcome of the presidential election," Wray told lawmakers.

In a newly unsealed search warrant, investigators say rioters carried weapons inside the Capitol including tire irons, sledge hammers, stun guns, bear spray and, in at least one case, a handgun with an extended magazine.

"Everyone involved must take responsibility for their actions that day, including our former president," said Grassley, who was among those who voted to acquit Trump on a count of incitement of insurrection in a Senate impeachment trial last month.

WATCH |Former FBI agent Jack Cloonan on the domestic terrorism threat:

New war on terrorism in U.S. is domestic, says former FBI agent

4 years ago

Duration 7:46

Given the events of Jan. 6, the likelihood of someone attempting an attack around the presidential inauguration is 'extremely high,' says former FBI special agent Jack Cloonan.

Senate judiciary committee chair Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said the government has not done enough to protect against threats from far-right extremists and white supremacists, and accused the Trump administration ofplaying down those threats.

He said the Trump administration "never set up a task force to combat the numerous incidents" from the far-right, and instead focused on Black Lives Matter activists.

With respect to other issues, Wray said he was concerned about violent attacks against Asian Americans during the past year. But he stopped short of condemning what he called "rhetoric" offensive language used by Trump and other legislators regarding the pandemic that Democrats have characterized as pejorative or racist.