Watchdog Report Dispels FBI Capitol Riot Conspiracy Theory

A Justice Department inspector general report states the FBI should have gathered more intelligence before the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. It dismisses claims that the FBI instigated the violence and highlights intelligence-sharing failures. FBI Director Chris Wray, set to resign soon, defends the agency's actions.

The FBI's handling of intelligence leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot was scrutinized in a recent Justice Department inspector general report. Though the bureau prepared for potential violence, it failed to adequately harness intelligence from its 56 field offices across the country, the report reveals.

The long-awaited evaluation debunks a conspiracy theory, supported by some Republican lawmakers, suggesting that FBI agents provoked the chaos. Notably, the review clarifies that while 26 FBI informants were present for electoral protests, they were not authorized to enter the Capitol or break laws.

The report emerges in the shadow of FBI Director Chris Wray's announcement of his forthcoming resignation, with him maintaining that intelligence was disseminated in a timely manner. Despite this, the review points to a lack of specific intelligence available to Capitol Police leaders at the time of the riot.

(With inputs from agencies.)