DOJ inspector general cannot deny FBI informants were in the crowd on J6

Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz could not deny Wednesday that federal government “human sources” from the FBI were present during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He refused to reveal how many there were when he appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Wednesday. Horowitz appeared alongside an FBI whistleblower and Tristan Leavitt, the president of Empower Oversight, Fox News reported.

The hearing was focused on how the FBI has allegedly used security clearance approval process as a way to remove conservatives and whistleblowers from the agency and discipline members who run afoul of the FBI’s upper echelon.



However, Horowitz provided few substantive remarks and urged the panel to wait and see his upcoming report on the matter that promises to be a comprehensive assessment of how the DOJ responded to the events of Jan. 6. In response to queries about the punishment of its members, Horowitz replied that he had "not made such a finding."

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) attempted to get some more answers out of Horowitz as the two sparred with questions and answers. It was Massie who asked about the presence and numbers of FBI informants on J6. Horowitz said his report was not completed because it had been put on hold due to the vast allocation of resources the DOJ and FBi allocated to arresting so many people with even a peripheral attachment to the riot.

"Do you have evidence of the number of confidential human sources that were operating on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6?" Massie asked. "Our report will include the information in that regard," Horowitz responded. When Massie targeted “how many” FBI informants were present and asked if the number was “more than 100,” Horowitz refused to say.

"I’m not in a position to say that, both because it is in draft form, and we have not gone through the classification review," Horowitz said. "And so I need to be careful." Horowitz expressed optimism that his report would be available for Congress and the public to peruse in “the next couple of months. I doubt it would be done in time for the election,” he said, adding that he hopes report will be issued before the next Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2025.

“What we do know is you’re going to expose that there were confidential human sources at the Capitol," Massie said. "Can you tell us today how many went into the Capitol?" Again, Horowitz disappointed the congressman. "I’ll have that information in the report."

The presence of security at the J6 riot remains a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats. Trump has been blamed for personally inciting the riot, but he prior to the day, he had called called for the National Guard to be ready for action. Pentagon officials reportedly delayed bringing the National Guard to the Capitol building over concerns about “optics.”