The idea of rebellion is unprecedented in the modern history of the United States, and the possibility that lawmakers or allies on Capitol Hill contributed to it only adds to the uncertainty and fear of the event and what will happen next.
At least one organizer of the event stated that he was coordinating with three Republicans in the House. There are unconfirmed reports of a reconnaissance mission the day before the attack. And more than a dozen U.S. Capitol Police officers are under internal investigation for allegedly helping rioters.
While President Donald Trump’s role in inciting violence is clear, early indications and accusations suggest that other insiders may have been more active in helping the mafia.
Ali Alexander, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who led one of the Stop The Steal groups, said in a vividly presented video that he planned the pre-riot rally with three GOP lawmakers: Rep. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama.
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Brooks spoke at the rally before Trump took the stage and urged the crowd to take names and kick ass. In an 2,800-word statement about his involvement, Brooks said he simply told the crowd to fight at the polls. (Mr. Brooks also said he received a phone call the day before from a White House official inviting him to speak at the meeting.)
CNN has already reported that Gosar has been linked to the Alexander Group in recent months. A spokesman for Biggs told CNN that he had never met or worked with Alexander.
Alexander said he hopes his crowd will pressure lawmakers to block President-elect Joe Biden’s victory through the Electoral College. After the uproar stopped, three lawmakers voted to strip Arizona and Pennsylvania of Biden’s votes. Their efforts have failed.
The three congressmen need urgent legal assistance for former GOP Representative Charlie Dent, a CNN contributor, CNN’s Erin Burnett said on Wednesday, adding that he believes lawmakers will be under the close scrutiny of federal prosecutors and the House Ethics Committee.
Alleged reconnaissance mission
New Jersey Democrat Mickey Sherrill waved his hand Tuesday night, accusing unnamed Republican lawmakers of helping the rioters by bringing them to Capitol Hill a day earlier for some sort of intelligence operation. CNN has not yet verified these claims.
Sherrill said some congressmen had groups coming through Capitol Hill that I saw on the 5th. January for reconnaissance the next day saw. CNN has contacted Sherrill’s office several times to obtain details of his claim, but they have not provided any additional information.
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As a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, she is considered a moderate member of the Democratic caucus, not a warmonger making unsubstantiated accusations. On Wednesday, she said she asked for an investigation into certain agencies, presumably to examine the possibility of coordination between Republican lawmakers and rioters.
Republican Lauren Bibert of Colorado was criticized for tweeting about the whereabouts of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the attack. Bibert, who is affiliated with the QAnon movement and regularly spreads right-wing conspiracy theories, tweeted that Pelosi was removed from the cells (of the House) while the rioters were still in the building.
Prosecutor on charges of conspiracy
More than 70 people have already been charged with federal crimes in connection with the attack. Most of the cases made public involve people who fought with police officers on Capitol Hill grounds, threatened violence against Democrats or were found with guns or bombs near the grounds.
Prosecutors have not yet charged any of these asset-supporters with coordinating with Republican lawmakers or sympathetic police officers, but a large-scale investigation is still in its early stages.
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We are looking at serious criminal cases involving sedition and conspiracy, Michael Sherwin, the U.S. attorney of record in Washington, told reporters Tuesday, without specifying whether lawmakers or law enforcement officials were being investigated.
But, Sherwin adds, our office has a strike organized by top prosecutors on national security and corruption. Your only orders from me are to encourage sedition and accuse the conspiracy of the most heinous acts that have taken place on Capitol Hill.
Assistance to police and military insiders
At least two Capitol Hill police officers have already been suspended, and at least 10 others are under investigation for allegedly playing a role in the mutiny, CNN reported.
After the attack, there was immediate speculation that some sympathetic police officers might have helped the rioters, as the loud and sometimes violent crowd seemed to move around the Capitol compound without much resistance. One rioter even posed for a selfie with a police officer.
Current and former U.S. soldiers also participated in the uprising, according to intelligence and court records. One of the men who entered the Senate building during the attack was a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, and the Army is reportedly investigating a Psy Ops officer who allegedly led a group from North Carolina to a Trump rally prior to the attack.
Ashley Babbitt, the 35-year-old woman killed by police while trying to enter the House chamber, was an Air Force veteran who later became embroiled in conspiracy theories.
CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Annie Grayer contributed to this story.
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