WASHINGTON – A member of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys was in contact with a person linked to the White House in the days just before the January 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a law enforcement official who informed about the investigation. is.
The location, cellular and call record data revealed a call linking a Proud Boys member to the Trump White House, the official said. The FBI did not determine what they were discussing, and the official did not want to reveal the names of either party.
The connection revealed by the communications data comes as the FBI intensifies its investigation into contacts among far-right extremists, Trump White House members and conservative congressmen in the days leading up to the attack.
The same data revealed no evidence of communication between the rioters and members of Congress during the deadly attack, the official said. This undermines the democratic claims that some Republican lawmakers actively participated in that day.
Separately, Enrique Tarrio, a leader of the far-right Nationalist Proud Boys, told The New York Times on Friday that he had called Roger J. Stone Jr., a close associate of former President Donald J. Trump, while in front of a protest action was from the home of Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida. During the protest, which took place in the days before the attack on the Capitol, he told Mr. Stone placed on the speaker to address the event.
A law enforcement official said it was not Mr. Tarrio’s communication with Mr. Stone is not being investigated, and that the call before Mr. Rubio’s house was another matter. That two members of the group were in communication with people affiliated with the White House underscores the access that violent extremist groups such as the Proud Boys had to the White House and to people close to the former president.
Mr. Stone denies “any involvement or knowledge of the attack on the Capitol” in a statement to The Times last month.
Mr. Tarrio was arrested in Washington on January 4 on a charge of destroying property for his role in burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn from a historic Black church during a December rally in Washington. He was asked to leave the city 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 offenses related to the attack, including conspiracy to obstruct the final certification of President Biden’s election victory and to attack law enforcers.
In court documents, federal prosecutors said groups of Proud Boys also coordinated travel to Washington and shared accommodation near the city, with the aim of disrupting Congress and promoting Trump’s efforts to retain his grip on the presidency illegally.
The communication between the person attached to the White House and the member of the Proud Boys was discovered in part by data obtained by the FBI immediately after the assault on technology and telecommunications companies.
In the court documents, the FBI warrant appears for a list of all the phones associated with the mobile towers that serve the Capitol, and that he received information from the major cell phone providers about the numbers that were all on the Capitol’s self-towers during the riot called. said the investigation.
The FBI has also obtained a geofence warrant for all Android devices that Google seized during the assault in the building, officials said. A Geofence warrant legally gives law enforcers a list of mobile devices that can be identified in a specific geographic area. Jill Sanborn, the FBI’s head of counter-terrorism, testified before a Senate panel on Wednesday that all the information the FBI collected in its investigation into the riot was obtained legally through subpoenas and warrants.
Although investigators did not find any contact between the rioters and members of Congress during the attack, the reports in the days leading up to January 6 testified to the communication between right-wing extremists and lawmakers who planned to protest with Mr. Trump who, according to one of the officials, took place just before the assault.
The Justice Department is investigating the communication, but it has not yet investigated members, the official said. A department spokesman declined to comment.
However, the FBI said on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department assistant on charges related to the attack, including unlawful interference, violent and disorderly conduct, obstruction of Congress and law enforcement, and assault. an officer with a dangerous weapon.
Former aid worker Federico G. Klein, seen in videos assaulting officers with a stolen riot shield, was the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the Capitol storm. His lawyer declined to comment Friday.
Right-wing extremists, including members of the Oath Keepers, a militia group consisting mainly of former law enforcers and military personnel, worked as security guards for Republicans and for Trump’s allies, such as Mr. Right. Stone.
Mr. Stone, who was represented by Mr. Trump was pardoned after refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian intelligence, Mr. Tarrio has been using Oath Keepers as bodyguards for some time before and on the day of the assault on the Capitol.
According to the Department of Justice, communication between Mr. Stone and far-right extremists are investigating to determine if he played any role in extremists’ plans to disrupt the January 6 certification, according to two people familiar with the matter and who were not authorized to speak about the investigation.
If investigators find messages showing that Mr. Stone had any connection to such plans, they would have a factual basis to open a full criminal investigation into him, the people said.
Mr. Stone said last month that he was “voluntarily sponsored by the Oathkeepers,” but noted that their security work was not proof that he was involved in, or informed about, plans to attack Congress. 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 stemming from the January 6 assault. It used evidence gathered in its broad hunt for attackers – including information from cellular providers and technology companies – to compile evidence of more sophisticated crimes, such as conspiracy.
According to two people familiar with the investigation, possible charges of riotous conspiracy are also being looked at.
Katie Benner and Adam Goldman reported from Washington, and Alan Feuer of New York. Jennifer Valentino-DeVries reported from New York.