U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors probing Trump supporters' storming of Capitol

[webfact]

U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors probing Trump supporters' storming of Capitol

By Sarah N. Lynch

 

FILE PHOTO: Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during clashes with police, during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors are probing the crowd of President Donald Trump's supporters who stormed the Capitol last week, initially focusing on at least two men who equipped themselves with plastic zip ties - a common kidnapping tool.

 

The counterterrorism unit of the Department of Justice's National Security Division has taken a role in prosecuting Larry Rendell Brock of Texas and Eric Gavelek Munchel of Tennessee, who were charged with unlawful entry, violent entry and disorderly conduct after they were photographed in the Capitol wearing tactical gear and carrying plastic restraints, according to a statement and court papers released Sunday and Monday.

 

Their attorneys could not be immediately identified.

 

They are just two of at least 20 people so far charged in federal court and about 40 in the District of Columbia's local Superior Court for taking part in the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, which left at least five dead, including a police officer.

 

Counterterrorism officials are joining the investigation, as evidence mounts suggesting at least some of the rioters openly plotted to kidnap or harm lawmakers to block them from certifying Joe Biden as the country's next president.

 

The charges so far range from unlawful entry and firearms offenses to assaulting police and making threats. Federal prosecutors have said they are exploring other possible charges, from seditious conspiracy to murder and felony murder, after a Capitol Police officer who was assaulted by rioters later died.

 

At least some of the people who took part may have plotted in advance to carry out violent acts at the Capitol, based on intelligence reports by outside groups who monitored conservative social media platforms.

 

At least 25 domestic terrorism investigations have been opened into the incident, Democratic U.S. Representative Jason Crow said on Sunday, citing information from U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

 

A Justice Department spokesman did not respond to questions about how many of its ongoing investigations into the U.S. Capitol riots have a counterterrorism angle.

 

There has been considerable debate in recent years about whether the Justice Department has ample legal tools to prosecute domestic terrorism, which the law defines as "acts dangerous to human life" that are intended to coerce civilians, influence government policy through intimidation, or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.

 

Tom O'Connor, a retired FBI agent who served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, said he believes there should be a more specific statute with enhanced penalties for people who carry out acts of terrorism on U.S. soil.

 

"Congress needs to come together and actually amend the penalties for the definition of domestic terrorism," he said.

 

Michael German, a former FBI agent who is now with the Brennan Center for Justice, disagreed, saying there are already 51 separate crimes that can be charged in connection with domestic terrorism, on top of numerous other laws that can be used to prosecute violent far-right extremists.

 

He faulted the FBI for not cracking down on right-wing extremists sooner, saying some at the riots were probably repeat-offenders who felt emboldened since they had gotten away with it before.

 

"I am confident when they do the investigation they will find out it was not the first time those people committed an act of violence and already some of the people who have been charged have previous convictions," he said.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-12

 

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[tonray]

GITMO...here we come....

[mtls2005]

Simply amazing that there has not been any sort of breifing by HHS, FBI, Pentagon?

 

So which one of these is Aunt Effa?

 

 

[J Town]

The Buffalo Horns guy (aka Jacob Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, aka the Odin of A$$holes) is currently in a detention facility after attempting to overthrow the legitimate government of the United States. He's refusing to eat because the food served in the hoosegow isn't organic.

 

You just can't make this stuff up!

 

This MAGA insurrectionist is on a hunger strike. You'll never guess why (dailykos.com)

[welovesundaysatspace]

4 minutes ago, J Town said:

He's refusing to eat because the food served in the hoosegow isn't organic.

Snowflake. 

[cmarshall]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Simply amazing that there has not been any sort of breifing by HHS, FBI, Pentagon?

 

 

Trump is running a coverup which includes stopping all those agencies from speaking publicly.  The coup attempt is not over yet.

[bendejo]

1 hour ago, cmarshall said:

 

Trump is running a coverup which includes stopping all those agencies from speaking publicly.  The coup attempt is not over yet.

DT has appointed a new US Attorney to Georgia, still looking for the magic...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-prosecutor-trump/white-house-pushed-top-federal-prosecutor-in-atlanta-to-resign-wsj-idUSKBN29E0RX

He made the last guy walk the plank.

 

[KKr]

2 hours ago, bendejo said:

DT has appointed a new US Attorney to Georgia, still looking for the magic...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-prosecutor-trump/white-house-pushed-top-federal-prosecutor-in-atlanta-to-resign-wsj-idUSKBN29E0RX

He made the last guy walk the plank.

 

time to legislate the President of the USA under the Law instead flying on a kite above it.
and also hope soon his actions over the last few weeks, incl. amnesties of criminals, will be scrutinised against the Constitution.

[Jonnapat]

One of the sadder aspects of this whole sorry saga is that police officers are now under investigation for possible aiding and abetting in the crime.

[Rimmer]

A troll meme has been removed

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, Jonnapat said:

One of the sadder aspects of this whole sorry saga is that police officers are now under investigation for possible aiding and abetting in the crime.

Sadder still when there are allegation that 3 GOP House lawmakers are involved in the planning of the storming the Capitol. 

[J Town]

1 hour ago, Jonnapat said:

One of the sadder aspects of this whole sorry saga is that police officers are now under investigation for possible aiding and abetting in the crime.

I heard there will be live snipers for protection, and they will have to hold the police officers under scrutiny as well. What an age in which we live.

[sirineou]

13 minutes ago, J Town said:

I heard there will be live snipers for protection, and they will have to hold the police officers under scrutiny as well. What an age in which we live.

After winning the white house President Jimmy Carter returned to his hometown of Plains Georgia for a parade down main street where he mingled with hometown neighbors shaking hands and hugging. 

That was only 43 years ago.

We all know the story of the frog in the boiling water. "raise the temperature slow enough and the frog does not notice until he is  Soupe du jour "

Well ,, let me just say that, it is getting kind of hot around here, what you all say we really make america great again?  

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Jonnapat said:

One of the sadder aspects of this whole sorry saga is that police officers are now under investigation for possible aiding and abetting in the crime.

 

And that's going to come up and bite prosecutors when most of the arrested claim they had no way of knowing what they were doing was illegal.  What, with the security guys taking selfies, high fiving and holding the doors open for protestors.

 

The ones breaking windows, stealing stuff and sitting at Pelosi's desk...  Throw away the key.

 

It'll be very interesting to see how all this unfolds.  With weeks of online chatter (out in the open) detailing their plans, the fact there wasn't enough security is either negligence or complicity.  Or both.

 

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

And that's going to come up and bite prosecutors when most of the arrested claim they had no way of knowing what they were doing was illegal.  What, with the security guys taking selfies, high fiving and holding the doors open for protestors.

 

The ones breaking windows, stealing stuff and sitting at Pelosi's desk...  Throw away the key.

 

It'll be very interesting to see how all this unfolds.  With weeks of online chatter (out in the open) detailing their plans, the fact there wasn't enough security is either negligence or complicity.  Or both.

 

No.

Ignorance of the law is no defense.

Also the crooked police were a small minority. 

A special place in hell for them.

[impulse]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No.

Ignorance of the law is no defense.

Also the crooked police were a small minority. 

A special place in hell for them.

 

So, you'd prosecute someone walking into a public building with a security guy holding the door open and welcoming him?

 

[Tug]

Hey look at the bright side donald will have lots of company in prison lol . throw the book at them imo especially the complicit cops they know better

[candide]

16 minutes ago, impulse said:

And that's going to come up and bite prosecutors when most of the arrested claim they had no way of knowing what they were doing was illegal

Not aware they were not allowed to force their way into the Capitole, disrupt a congress session, and get into congressmens' offices, really? Are you kidding?

[Hanaguma]

Didn't look like much of an insurrection to me. No plan, no actual desire to overthrow the government.  Just a bunch of yahoos who got caught up in the idiocy of the moment.  For the ones who actually broke in and damaged/destroyed property, throw the book at them. From the footage I saw, the vast majority were just milling around like a group of tourists. Taking selfies and looking a little shocked that it was so easy to access the Capitol building itself. 

 

Compared to a typical evening in Portland or Seattle, it was positively sedate.

[candide]

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

So, you'd prosecute someone walking into a public building with a security guy holding the door open and welcoming him?

 

And as usual.....

"We didn’t find evidence of that. Instead, we discovered that some online video is getting misinterpreted. Many officers had to abandon their posts and barricades because they were far outnumbered and overwhelmed."

https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/jan/07/ask-politifact-did-capitol-police-let-mob-trump-su/

[impulse]

20 minutes ago, candide said:

And as usual.....

"We didn’t find evidence of that. Instead, we discovered that some online video is getting misinterpreted. Many officers had to abandon their posts and barricades because they were far outnumbered and overwhelmed."

https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/jan/07/ask-politifact-did-capitol-police-let-mob-trump-su/

 

Hey, you can believe the analysis.  I believe what I saw on video. 

 

Added to the fact that they are investigating over a dozen capital security officers for their part in the fracas.  They've already suspended 2, and arrested one.  They don't do that to officers abandoning their posts because they're outnumbered.

 

[spiekerjozef]

Why is nobody charging trump? Or are they scared?

Edited January 13, 2021 by Scott

[impulse]

35 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

Didn't look like much of an insurrection to me. No plan, no actual desire to overthrow the government.  Just a bunch of yahoos who got caught up in the idiocy of the moment.  For the ones who actually broke in and damaged/destroyed property, throw the book at them. From the footage I saw, the vast majority were just milling around like a group of tourists. Taking selfies and looking a little shocked that it was so easy to access the Capitol building itself. 

 

Compared to a typical evening in Portland or Seattle, it was positively sedate.

 

Here's how I know it wasn't a genuine coup or attempt at insurrection...  They left their guns behind. 

 

These are the same guys who carried their guns into protests all over the country- wherever it was legal.  DC police reminded everyone before hand that open carry is illegal in the city.  If they were really out for an insurrection, I doubt that firearm laws would have stood in their way.

 

Sure, some of them broke laws and need to be thrown in jail.  Then the authorities need to look at who made it so easy for them, and why...

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by impulse

[candide]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Hey, you can believe the analysis.  I believe what I saw on video. 

 

Added to the fact that they are investigating over a dozen capital security officers for their part in the fracas.  They've already suspended 2, and arrested one.  They don't do that to officers abandoning their posts because they're outnumbered.

 

Some of them may well be complicit (it's strange that the protesters could easily find the targeted offices). However, it's been a minority. Many have been injured (around 50) and one killed. If you have watched the videos, you surely also watched the ones in which protesters were harassing policemen, pushing barricades, etc.... 

Edited January 12, 2021 by candide

[impulse]

1 minute ago, candide said:

Some of them may well be complicit (it's strange that the protesters could easily find the targeted offices). However, it has not been the most frequent behavior. Many have been injured (around 50) and one killed. If you have watched the videos, you surely also watched the ones in which protesters were harassing policemen, pushing barricades, etc.... 

 

Agreed.  A lot of the protestors need to go to jail.  They knew what they did was wrong and did it anyway. 

 

But some of them were invited into a public building by security guards holding the door open for them.  And others walked through open doors where there was no security presence.  I have some sympathy for those.  Idiots, maybe.  But that's not a crime. 

 

The ones that broke windows, stole stuff, and sat at Pelosi's desk...  Throw away the key. 

 

And on an aside, where was the outrage when protestors were burning down entire neighborhoods last summer?  With deaths and injuries and looting and burnt out cop cars and... and...  Do you figure anyone saw that happening and the lesson they took away was that such behavior would be overlooked?

 

[candide]

19 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Agreed.  A lot of the protestors need to go to jail.  They knew what they did was wrong and did it anyway. 

 

But some of them were invited into a public building by security guards holding the door open for them.  And others walked through open doors where there was no security presence.  I have some sympathy for those.  Idiots, maybe.  But that's not a crime. 

 

The ones that broke windows, stole stuff, and sat at Pelosi's desk...  Throw away the key. 

 

And on an aside, where was the outrage when protestors were burning down entire neighborhoods last summer?  With deaths and injuries and looting and burnt out cop cars and... and...  Do you figure anyone saw that happening and the lesson they took away was that such behavior would be overlooked?

 

I agree that some of them were stupid people who just went with the flow. I don't think they have been unaware they were doing something illegal, but they may not have grasped the severity of the offense. However, the ones who have been arrested are likely not these guys.

 

As for the BLM protesters, etc.. they have been arrested too (and in larger number).

[Meat Pie 47]

12 hours ago, J Town said:

The Buffalo Horns guy (aka Jacob Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, aka the Odin of A$$holes) is currently in a detention facility after attempting to overthrow the legitimate government of the United States. He's refusing to eat because the food served in the hoosegow isn't organic.

 

You just can't make this stuff up!

 

This MAGA insurrectionist is on a hunger strike. You'll never guess why (dailykos.com)

Maybe you can't make this up but he is a Trump supporter

[shdmn]

13 minutes ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

Maybe you can't make this up but he is a Trump supporter

No no, see this is proof that ANTIFA (dramatic music) did this to make trump look bad.  ????

 

That is literally what some of these idiots are trying to claim.  That a bunch of liberals decided to grow neck beards, dress up like dumpy white trash losers that live with their mom, and pretend they are trump supporters.  You can't make this stuff up.

Edited January 12, 2021 by shdmn

[Meat Pie 47]

7 minutes ago, shdmn said:

No no, see this is proof that ANTIFA (dramatic music) did this to make trump look bad.  ????

[heybruce]

3 hours ago, Hanaguma said:

Didn't look like much of an insurrection to me. No plan, no actual desire to overthrow the government.  Just a bunch of yahoos who got caught up in the idiocy of the moment.  For the ones who actually broke in and damaged/destroyed property, throw the book at them. From the footage I saw, the vast majority were just milling around like a group of tourists. Taking selfies and looking a little shocked that it was so easy to access the Capitol building itself. 

 

Compared to a typical evening in Portland or Seattle, it was positively sedate.

The ones who killed the police officer and those who witnessed this and did nothing to stop it; do you think they were "milling around like a group of tourists".  How about the ones who chased the black police officer (who led them away from the Senate chambers)?  Do you think the ones who pushed through the police barricades thought that was what tourists did?