The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deployed personnel to the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, text messages recently obtained by Judicial Watch via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show.
The CIA is generally prohibited from spying on American citizens — leaving that job to the FBI. In fact, the FBI’s website states: “The CIA collects information only regarding foreign countries and their citizens. Unlike the FBI, it is prohibited from collecting information regarding ‘U.S. Persons,’ a term that includes U.S. citizens, resident aliens, legal immigrants, and U.S. corporations, regardless of where they are located.”
However, the text messages obtained by Judicial Watch showed that “several” teams were deployed to the Capitol on January 6, 2021. After Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department for not responding to a FOIA request, the DOJ handed over documents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that included the text messages.
The text messages were under the heading: “January 7 Intel Chain.”
One series of text messages said “two CIA bomb techs” are assisting with “a pipe bomb scene on New Jersey and D ST SE.” The location is where two pipebombs were allegedly left at the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Another series of text messages said “several CIA dog teams on standby.”
“These striking records show that CIA resources were deployed in reaction to the January 6 disturbance,” said Judicial Watch President, Tom Fitton.
It is the first time the CIA’s role in the response to the events at the Capitol has been unearthed.
Judicial Watch’s Director of Research and Investigations, Chris Farrell, on Thursday told Salem News Channel’s America First, “We have the same questions you do. What is a national intelligence collection agency whose mission is overseas doing operating domestically with law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th?”
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