Despite ongoing conspiracy theories surrounding the riots that occurred on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, FBI Director Kash Patel has promised that there will be a “definitive answer” to one of the most pressing questions regarding the incident.
“People have had questions about January 6th and whether or not there were FBI sources – not agents, sources – on the ground during January 6. And I told you I would get you the definitive answer to that. And we have, and we are in the process again of working with our partners to divulge that information, and it is coming,” Patel explained during an interview on the Fox News program “Special Report.”
Patel then said the answer to this pressing question could “surprise and shock people because of what past FBI leaders have said about it.”
“Last year, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released his highly anticipated report on the FBI’s Handling of its Confidential Human Sources and Intelligence Collection Efforts in the Lead Up to the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral Certification,” Fox News reported.
The report revealed that 26 confidential human sources were present in the crowd outside the Capitol on January 6. However, only three had been specifically assigned by the FBI to be there. The document emphasized that none of the sources were instructed to break the law or incite others to engage in illegal activity.
One of the three confidential human sources tasked with attending the rally ultimately entered the Capitol building, while the other two breached the restricted perimeter surrounding it. Notably, sources directed to attend such events are compensated by the FBI for the time they spend on assignment.
In another interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, Patel said the information from this report is “definitely a piece of the truth.”
In December, former FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress just ahead of the release of the DOJ Inspector General’s report. During the hearing, Dan Patel criticized Wray for offering what he called a typical “D.C. answer” when pressed by lawmakers, implying that Wray was dodging tough questions with polished, noncommittal responses.
“Why it took a ton of time and questioning in Congress for the director to get that point is what I’m trying to eliminate from the FBI. If Congress asks you a question under oath, whether or not there were sources in [or] around January 6th at the Capitol, you as the director of the FBI need to know that and not deflect and give a D.C. answer. You have to be prepared for that,” Patel said.
