GOP Rep. Thomas Massie questioned Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Jan. 6 siege on Capitol Hill, asking him if federal agents, assets, or provocateurs had infiltrated the protest and incited a riot.
During a House hearing on Thursday, Massie showed several videos of an individual who was inciting violence at the Jan. 6 riot as he grilled Garland. The man in the video has not been charged and the Republican congressman bluntly asked the attorney general if he was a federal provocateur.
When Garland informed Massie that he couldn’t “see the video at all,” Massie responded, “You have the images there,” referring to pictures Garland had in front of him.
“They were from January 5th and January 6th,” Massie noted.
“As far as we can determine, the individual who was saying he’ll ‘probably go to jail’ and he’ll ‘probably be arrested,’ but he wants everyone—-they need everyone to go into the Capitol the next day, is then the next day seen directing people into the Capitol. But as far as we can tell, this individual has not been charged with anything. You said this was one of the most sweeping investigations in history. So, have you seen this video or those frames from the video?” Massie asked.
I questioned Attorney General Garland about whether there were Federal Agents present on 1/6 and whether they agitated to go into the Capitol. Attorney General Garland refused to answer. pic.twitter.com/RHq3Yd2pbu
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 21, 2021
“So, as I’ve said at the outset, one of the norms of the Justice Department is to not comment on impending ongoing investigations and not comment about particular scenes or particular individuals,” Garland awkwardly and noncommittedly deflected.
“I was hoping today to give you an opportunity to put to rest the concerns that people have that there were federal agents or assets of the federal government present on January 5th and January 6th. Can you tell us without talking about particular videos how many agents or assets of the government were present on January 6th? Whether they agitated to go into the Capitol? And if any of them did?” Massie continued.
“I’m not going to violate this norm of the rule of law. I’m not going to comment on an investigation that’s ongoing,” Garland asserted.
Conservative author and commentator Candace Owens reacted in a tweet saying the FBI “were the insurrectionists – just as I predicted.”
“There was never a ‘Trump’ insurrection—it was ALWAYS deep state,” she added.
OMG. Stop EVERYTHING and watch:
The @FBI were the insurrectionists—just as I predicted. Undercover FEDS were responsible for going into the Capital—and undercover FEDS dropped the pipe bombs off too I bet.
There was never a “Trump” insurrection—it was ALWAYS deep state. https://t.co/cLzpFWOWU6— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 22, 2021
The middle-aged man wearing a MAGA hat in the video urged Trump supporters on Jan. 5 to storm the Capitol the next day. He has reportedly not been arrested or charged with inciting a riot on Jan. 6 or for anything else. He was allegedly standing next to Jayden X, or John Sullivan who is said to be a known Antifa provocateur and organizer. Witnesses claim he is Ray Epps from Queen Creek, Arizona.
Epps was interviewed by The Arizona Republic via telephone and he stated that he had traveled to the Capitol for the protest and that he had been advised by an attorney not to speak about it.
“I think the truth needs to get out,” he stated at the time. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
When he was asked about the incident, he first told The Republic he needed to see the video. When he read a transcript of the comments, Epps commented, “The only thing that meant is we would go in the doors like everyone else. It was totally, totally wrong the way they went in.”
Epps is purportedly the owner of Rocking R Farms in Queen Creek and the Knotty Barn, a wedding and event venue in the East Valley in Arizona.
America was watching Massie’s questioning of Garland and they want some answers as well from the attorney general and the FBI:
😅 Sheila Jackson asks “Is that approved video?” Massie turns up the volume! 😂😅😂😅😂
— Kimberly Eby (@kimeby601) October 22, 2021
Thank you, Sir, for having the courage to further reveal this man’s evil.
— Steven (@sustain05) October 21, 2021
I’ve noticed that being able to incompetently answer direct questions is some kind of power move that cancels out accountability during hearings for some reason.
— Hilda ❤️ (@Hilda_aka_Math) October 21, 2021
The use of agent provocateur’s to facilitate and create activity that governments use to justify repression of the opposition is a time tested tactic of tyrannical regimes. They will not allow the truth out, and even if they did, the state worshipers will deny it
— Ragnar Danneskjold (@JeffSHubbard1) October 21, 2021
Catch 22. They can’t admit agents were present because they’d have to explain why they didn’t stop it but they’ve charged hundreds of people using conspiracy, a charge that requires planning/foreknowledge.
— Maxwell Class (@nti_Imperialist) October 21, 2021
My god finally someone is addressing the elephant. Thank you!!
— AndyC (@AndrewCerone) October 22, 2021
Wow! That’s damming.
— Bobby (@ba7133) October 22, 2021
I’ll take his answer as a yes.
— RKGisME (@BigRK75) October 22, 2021
“norm of the rule of law” wtf??
— James Neary (@jneary94) October 21, 2021
The answer is yes, they have ben involved in a lot more as well. It’s time to wake up people.
— DreToX9o7 (@DreToX9o7) October 22, 2021
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