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WASHINGTON – A member of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys was in communication with a person associated with the White House in the days leading up to the Jan.6 attack on the Capitol, according to a law enforcement official briefed on investigation.
Location, cell phone and call recording data revealed a call linking a Proud Boys member to Trump’s White House, the official said. The FBI has not determined what they discussed, and the official has not disclosed the names of either party.
The connection revealed by the communications data comes as the FBI steps up its investigation into contacts between far-right extremists, Trump’s White House associates and conservative members of Congress in the days leading up to the attack.
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The same data did not reveal any evidence of communications between rioters and members of Congress during the deadly attack, the official said. This undermines Democratic claims that some Republican lawmakers were active participants that day.
Separately, Enrique Tarrio, a leader of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys, told the New York Times on Friday that he called Roger Stone, a close associate of former President Donald Trump, during a protest outside the home of the senator. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. During the protest, which took place in the days leading up to the Capitol storming, he put Stone on a speakerphone to address the rally.
A law enforcement official said it was not Tarrio’s communication with Stone that was being investigated, and that the appeal made outside Rubio’s home was another matter. The fact that two members of the group have been in communication with individuals associated with the White House underscores the access of violent extremist groups like the Proud Boys to the White House and to those close to the former president.
Stone denied “any involvement or knowledge of the Capitol attack” in a statement last month to The Times.
Tarrio was arrested in Washington on January 4 for destroying property for his role in the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn from a historic black church during a demonstration in Washington in December. He was asked to leave town and was not present when the Capitol was attacked. His case is pending.
The Justice Department has charged more than a dozen members of the Proud Boys with crimes related to the attack, including conspiracy to obstruct President Joe Biden’s final certification of electoral victory and attack officers law enforcement.
In court documents, federal prosecutors said groups of Proud Boys also coordinated trips to Washington and shared accommodation near the city, in a bid to disrupt Congress and advance Trump’s efforts to illegally maintain its hold on the presidency.
Communication between the person associated with the White House and the Proud Boys member was discovered in part through data the FBI obtained from tech and telecommunications companies immediately after the assault.
Court documents show FBI warrants for a list of all phones associated with cell towers serving the Capitol, and that it has received information from major mobile carriers on the numbers called by everyone on cell towers in the Capitol building during the riot, three officials familiar with the investigation said.
The FBI also obtained a “geofence” warrant for all Android devices Google registered in the building during the assault, officials said. A geographic fence warrant legally gives law enforcement a list of mobile devices that can be identified in a particular geographic area. Jill Sanborn, the FBI’s counterterrorism official, testified before a Senate panel on Wednesday that all the data the FBI gathered in its riot investigation was obtained legally through subpoenas and search warrants.
Although investigators found no contact between the rioters and members of Congress during the attack, these files showed evidence in the days leading up to January 6 of communications between far-right extremists and lawmakers who planned to show up at the rally featuring Trump. this happened just before the assault, according to one of the officials.
The Justice Department is reviewing these communications, but has not opened investigations into any members, the official said. A ministry spokesperson declined to comment.
The FBI, however, said on Thursday it had arrested a former State Department aide on charges related to the attack, including illegal entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstruction of Congress and law enforcement. , and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon.
Former mid-level aide Federico Klein, who has been seen in videos assaulting officers with a stolen riot shield, was the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges related to the taking storming the Capitol. His lawyer declined to comment on Friday.
Right-wing extremists, including members of the Oath Keepers, a militia that mainly includes former law enforcement and military personnel, have worked as security guards for Republicans and for Trump’s allies, such as Stone.
Stone, who was pardoned by Trump after refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian intelligence, has known Tarrio for some time and has used Oath Keepers as bodyguards both before and on the day. attack on the Capitol.
The Justice Department is examining communications between Stone and far-right extremists to determine whether he was involved in the extremists’ plans to halt certification on Jan.6, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not not allowed to talk about the investigation.
If investigators found any messages showing Stone had anything to do with such plans, they would have a factual basis to open a full criminal investigation against him, people said.
Stone said last month that he had been “voluntarily insured by the Oath Keepers,” but noted that their security work did not constitute evidence that he was involved in or aware of congressional attack plans. He reiterated an earlier statement that anyone involved in the attack should be prosecuted.
The Justice Department has charged more than 300 people with crimes resulting from the January 6 assault. He used the evidence gathered in his extensive search for attackers – including information from cellular service providers and tech companies – to help piece together evidence of more sophisticated crimes, like the conspiracy.
He is also examining possible charges of seditious conspiracy, according to two people familiar with the investigation.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
© 2021 The New York Times Company
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