FBI Director Christopher Wray said that there is no evidence that fake Trump supporters or antifa were responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Wray, testifying Tuesday in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, fielded numerous questions from Democrats angling to disprove theories from some Republicans and others on the Right that supporters of former President Donald Trump were not the true instigators of the attack while members of Congress met to accept the results of the Electoral College.
“Do you have any evidence that the capital attack was organized by, quote, ‘fake Trump protesters?'” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin asked Wray.
“We have not seen evidence of that,” Wray responded.
FBI DIRECTOR: CAPITOL SIEGE WAS ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’
Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Mo Brooks of Alabama, and Paul Gosar of Arizona were among those who alleged soon after the mob attack that antifa may have played a role in the event.
Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont asked whether Wray had seen any evidence of antifa or left-wing groups playing a “significant role” in the attack.
“We’re equal opportunity and looking for a violent extremism of any — of any ideology. We have not, to date, seen any evidence of anarchist, violent extremists or people subscribing to antifa in connection with [Jan. 6],” Wray said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not looking, and we’ll continue to look. But at the moment, we have not seen that.”
Wray did note that the FBI saw more arrests of violent anarchist extremists in the last year than in the past three years combined.
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Wray also disputed reports that Leahy referenced that law enforcement was directed to shift resources from combating white supremacist violence to combating left-wing violence.
“We did not receive direction to, nor did we, separate or divert resources away from tackling racially motivated violent extremism, white, over to anarchist, violent extremism or anything along those lines,” Wray said. “In fact, as I’ve said, we elevated racially motivated extremism.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray: No evidence of anarchist violent extremists, no evidence of Antifa, in connection with the January 6th insurrection. pic.twitter.com/YrgTLEVaRF
— The Recount (@therecount) March 2, 2021
