Federal law enforcement responding to reports of two pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, failed to secure the crime scene and accused the Speaker of the House and the Vice President-elect of committing the crimes. He was found guilty of “serious failures in safety and security.” came within a few feet of one of the devices, a U.S. House of Representatives investigation concluded.
Ann Interim joint report The House Judiciary Committee and the House Administration Committee Oversight Subcommittee did not address several key topics, including how CCTV surveillance cameras were not installed from certain crime scenes; This includes whether there is a possibility that a pipe bomb was planted on January 6th. January 5th, as the FBI has long maintained.
The report says the FBI has collected 105 million data points on the incident, including data on the person in the gray hood who is believed to have planted the bomb on January 5th. However, it has been shown that even after four years, the person has not been identified or arrested.
Just as the House report was released, the FBI announced: new information The report on the suspected pipe bomber is accompanied by a slightly longer video showing a person sitting on a bench near the Democratic National Committee building. The video is in black and white and has the same low frame rate as previous videos released by the FBI.
“The FBI and its law enforcement partners interviewed approximately 1,000 people, visited more than 1,200 homes and businesses, evaluated more than 500 tips, and collected more than 39,000 video files,” the report said. There is. “Additionally, as of April 2021, the FBI has compiled 30 different datasets from multiple sources, including hardware stores, shoe vendors, and mobile carriers, collecting over 105 million data points. did.”
Although the motive was not specified, the main impact of the bomb was to occupy the police force at a critical time, the report said.
“The discovery of both pipe bombs, which had been outside for more than 16 hours, occurred within minutes of Congress' vote to certify the 2020 presidential election and resulted in federal law enforcement dedicating significant resources to federal It was repurposed from the Capitol Building,” the report states. Said. “As a result, protesters breached the Capitol security perimeter and entered the building while law enforcement responded to the pipe bomb.”
“Someone isn't doing their job.”
The failure by law enforcement began hours before the bombs were discovered behind the Capitol Hill Club near the Republican National Committee building and on the side of the Democratic National Committee building, according to the report.
“Federal law enforcement actions before, during, and after the discovery of pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC on January 6, 2021 constituted a series of significant safety and security deficiencies.” the report said.
The report said the U.S. Secret Service failed to conduct a proper search on the DNC grounds, and that agents and bomb-sniffing dogs were working in close proximity to the pipe bomb, which was located on a park bench near the building. It was completely visible from below.
The failure allowed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' motorcade to enter the DNC garage, meters from the pipe bomb, just before 11:30 a.m.
After a pipe bomb was discovered next to the Democratic National Committee building on January 6, 2021, operatives hovered near the bomb and pedestrians were allowed to walk through the blast area.
U.S. Capitol Police surveillance cameras
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) motorcade ended up passing near the DNC building after Speaker Pelosi was evacuated from the Capitol after failing to secure the scene and establish a secure perimeter. .
“Following the discovery of the pipe bomb, law enforcement was unable to immediately secure and maintain a perimeter around the pipe bomb on the sidewalk outside the DNC,” the report said. “As a result, civilians and law enforcement officers routinely breached the perimeter and came very close to viable devices, in some cases coming within several feet.”
“More than 10 USSS agents and two dog units passed in close proximity to the pipe bomb.”
The report said federal law enforcement “jeopardized the safety and security of protectees during the evacuation of the Capitol.” “Despite attempts to notify law enforcement stationed along the border, numerous civilians, law enforcement officers, Congressional leadership, and even a train passed by the pipe bomb, resulting in unnecessary loss of life. endangered.”
The report said the bomb detection failure was due in part to the Secret Service's decision not to hire adequate bomb detection personnel.
“The failure of the USSS to identify the pipe bomb outside the DNC prior to the arrival of Vice President-elect Harris constituted a significant security lapse,” the report said. “Due in part to the USSS's decision not to utilize critical explosives detection capabilities, more than a dozen USSS agents and two canine units passed within close range of the pipe bomb but were unable to locate the device, resulting in Vice President-Elect Harris was killed within a few feet of a pipe bomb. ”
According to federal law enforcement standards, the preferred evacuation distance from a pipe bomb is at least 1,200 feet.US House of Representatives Report
A Secret Service official told investigators from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General that “USSS officers should have been stationed outside the DNC all morning. Security was lifted and pedestrians were able to walk past the unidentified pipe bomb throughout the morning.
The frustration of Capitol Police dispatchers was evident as dozens of pedestrians and vehicles continued to drive directly through the DNC pipe bombs, the report said.
One dispatcher said, “This is the last time we'll hear of this request.'' “We need troops before Fairchild.” [building] Go south one block on South Capitol and E. They are within sight of this package. Additionally, anyone in a K-9 vehicle parked on the east curb of the South Capitol Building should move as soon as possible. No more vehicles will need to pass the package to respond to the north side of the South Capitol. ”
Similar failures occurred in maintaining a secure perimeter at the RNC, the report said.
“Sir, there are people walking down First Street in front of the Republican Club,” a dispatcher announced at 1:25 p.m., “Someone's not at work.”
Diversion of resources
Although the FBI has been unable to establish a solid motive for the pipe bombers for four years, one of the device's major impacts is clear, the report says. The discovery of pipe bombs at 12:43 p.m. and 1:05 p.m. drew significant police resources from the Capitol and caused protesters to storm the Capitol grounds, according to the report. It is said that they were connected.
A civilian walks just meters from a U.S. Capitol Police bomb robot near the DNC on January 6, 2021.US House of Representatives
“It is surprising that FBI leaders have refused to acknowledge even the most obvious aspects of the pipe bomb investigation, nearly four years after the pipe bomb was planted,” the report said. Ta. “The importance of pipe bombs to how the events of January 6th unfolded cannot be overstated. Evidence shows that pipe bombers commanded significant law enforcement attention and resources. It suggests that it was diverted from the Capitol just when it was needed most.”
The report questioned how the FBI could fail to solve cases, even though it had amassed a vast data set on suspects and persons of interest. Questioned how the bomb could have detonated with a 60-minute egg timer.
“According to an FBI bomb technician who agreed to speak to committee staff on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, the FBI's use of the term 'viable' is a departure from the standard description used by bomb technicians. deviant,” the report said.
“Traditionally, bomb engineers have deliberately avoided using ambiguous language, choosing to refer to a bomb as a 'device' or 'hoax' if it 'works as designed.'” The book says: “It is unclear why the FBI would insist on using a vague and nonstandard description in the case of pipe bombs.”
Kyle Serafin, a former FBI special agent who worked on the pipe bomb investigation, told Blaze News that the device was not a live bullet, based on briefings his team received during surveillance of the case.
The FBI has compiled a list of people who may have purchased the type of black powder found in the pipe bombs, the report said. I've tracked down a list of people who have purchased similar egg timers. They looked at a list of people who had purchased Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes like the one worn by the bombing suspect.
Pedestrians and Secret Service agents walk near an allegedly live pipe bomb near DNC headquarters just five minutes after it was discovered on January 6, 2021.US Capitol Police, US House of Representatives
“Most notably, the FBI has identified a person of interest who was in possession of Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers and was working at the “crime scene.” Following this lead, the case team conducted a “detailed investigation'' of this person of interest on January 5 to establish “independent corroboration'' of this person's whereabouts. ”
The bureau received enhanced video of the suspect's backpack, but despite contacting 18 manufacturers, “the FBI did not receive a 'positive response' from any manufacturer.” ” states the report.
“Despite extensive efforts by the FBI, including identifying hundreds of purchases and transactions of the suspect's shoes, the FBI has not yet been able to identify the suspect,” the report said.
Topics not covered
The report does not say how several Capitol Police surveillance cameras covering the DNC building were monitored. turned away from the scene Because it happened on Jan. 6, investigators were unable to more fully determine who entered the area around the park bench.
Just as the Capitol Police bomb robot was deployed to the DNC building, surveillance cameras showing a nearby bomb squad staging area suddenly turned away from the scene, according to a review of video footage by Blaze News.
The report also does not address surveillance video footage from a DNC camera overlooking the park bench area. This footage could potentially reveal definitively who installed the DNC equipment. Either the suspect wearing a gray hood or the federal agent who was seen entering the dead zone between cameras on January 6th just after 12:50 p.m.
A senior Congressional official told Blaze News that Homeland Security OIG investigators were able to view about 40 minutes of DNC surveillance video from the night of January 5, showing a person wearing a sweatshirt planting a bomb. He was convinced that he had done so and left.
Still, the blind spots in the camera coverage and the fact that the cameras had their backs turned on Jan. 6 are problematic, sources said.
It's unclear whether the pipe bomb investigation will continue during the 119th U.S. Congress, which will be sworn in on January 3.
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