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John Sullivan, the 26-year-old left-wing activist who recorded a close-up video of the fatal shooting of a woman during the Capitol siege on January 6, has been released without bail on a handful of federal charges.
In a virtual hearing on Friday, a Utah federal judge said prosecutors had failed to meet the legal threshold to keep him in custody as he awaited further legal proceedings.
Sullivan, who told Fox News last week that he entered the Capitol to “document” the unfolding events, is accused of taking part in and encouraging rioters as they swept the building.
The chaos has left at least five people dead, including the woman filmed by Sullivan and a Capitol Hill police officer.
A LEFT-HANDED ACTIVIST IN CHARGE OF CAPITOL RIOT AFTER SAYING HE WAS THERE TO “ DOCUMENT ”
Sullivan must avoid social media, return his passport and be under house arrest. He will also have to stop working for the activist group Insurgence USA that he founded, although he will not have to cede control.
In addition, Sullivan, who posed with a rifle at protests over the summer, is now prohibited from owning firearms.
The arrest by the FBI took place Thursday in his home state of Utah. Sullivan could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.
A video the former Olympic speed skating prospect recorded for his social media accounts was later turned over to the FBI as evidence, according to a criminal complaint.
Inside the building, he told rioters that “we have to burn this down” and “this is our house m ————“, according to an affidavit signed by the officer. Special FBI Matthew Foulger.
“We accomplished this…” he said at another point from inside the crowd. “We did this together. F — yeah! We’re all part of this story.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone published Wednesday, Sullivan said he was acting to build relationships with the protesters.
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Prosecutors plan to try his case in Washington DC. He has another case pending in Provo, Utah, in connection with a protest he organized in June. During this event, a person present shot a motorist during an altercation.
Black Lives Matter Utah told Fox News on Friday that Sullivan was not a member, had never attended a reunion, and had no connection with the group.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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