A bombshell report from the office of U.S. Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirmed that the FBI was present and involved in the events of January 6, 2021, with IG Horowitz saying that the initial reports from the FBI related to January 6 were “inaccurate” and not reflective of what actually transpired at the U.S. Capitol.

For context, in a press release from December 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Michael E. Horowitz, confirmed that after a thorough review, it was clear that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was involved in responding to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. In addition, the press release clarified that 26 FBI agents were in Washington, D.C. on January 6 for reasons related to the incident at the Capitol.

In the report, Inspector General Horowitz explained that the FBI “took significant and appropriate steps in advance of January 6 to prepare for its supporting role,” explaining that the agency was prepared to respond to “the potential for violence,” but did not “canvass its field offices in advance of January 6 to identify any intelligence including [confidential human sources] reporting, that might have assisted with the FBI and law enforcement partners’ preparations for January 6.

Continuing, Inspector General Horowitz said that the FBI had made an “inaccurate report to Congress” in which the agency falsely said that its agents had canvassed field offices in search of intelligence related to January 6, explaining that the inaccuracy was due to “confusion and lack of coordination.” Furthermore, IG Horowitz clarified that the reports from the FBI were not “intentionally inaccurate.”

Moreover, IG Horowitz confirmed that there were no undercover FBI employees at protests or in the Capitol building on January 6, saying, “We found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6. However, he explained that “Twenty-six FBI CHSs were in Washington, D.C. on January 6 in connection with the events of January 6.”

In addition, the inspector general explained that three of the aforementioned FBI agents were “tasked by FBI field offices to report on specific domestic terrorism case subjects who were possibly attending the events of January 6.” He then added, “One of these three CHSs entered the Capitol during the riot. The other two entered the restricted area around the Capitol.”

Next, IG Horowitz clarified that the remaining 23 FBI agents who were present at the Capitol Building on January 6 were acting “on their own initiative and were not tasked by FBI field offices to attend the events.” Horowitz explained, “Of these 23 CHSs, three CHSs entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 11 entered the restricted area around the Capitol.” Later, the inspector general confirmed that by entering restricted areas within the Capitol building, several FBI agents engaged in “illegal activity.”

In response to the revelatory press release, Rep Thomas Massie (R-KY) weighed in on X on December 12, 2024, saying, “It’s no coincidence that FBI Director Wray announced his resignation just prior to the release of the IG report exposing activities of FBI confidential human sources at the Capitol on Jan 6.” He added, “For four years, I pressed for answers on this. Now the malfeasance is finally exposed.”

Watch coverage of the inspector general’s report: