{"id":17235,"date":"2021-01-15T12:36:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T12:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/?p=98086"},"modified":"2021-01-15T12:36:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T12:36:31","slug":"capitol-attack-underscores-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-police-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/15\/capitol-attack-underscores-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-police-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Capitol attack underscores white supremacist infiltration of police, military"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the aftermath of the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/capitol-siege\">deadly insurrection<\/a> at the U.S. Capitol last week, FBI Director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/history\/directors\/christopher-wray\">Christopher Wray<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/news\/pressrel\/press-releases\/director-wrays-statement-on-violent-activity-at-the-us-capitol-building-010721\">vowed<\/a> to muster the full investigative powers of his agency to bring &#8220;violent agitators and extremists&#8221; to justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ensuing investigation, billed as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/01\/12\/politics\/justice-department-capitol-hill-attack\/index.html\">unprecedented<\/a>&#8221; in its scale and scope, has led to the prosecution of more than 70 people, who could <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/riots-capitol-siege-e2bb09c0abe09f9c65cbfaf0f136c466\">face sedition charges<\/a> punishable by up to 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"article-email-signup\">\n\n    <div class=\"article-email-signup__inner\">\n\n                    <h4 class=\"article-email-signup__head\">Investigations in your inbox<\/h3>\n        \n        <div class=\"article-email-signup__row\">\n                            <p class=\"article-email-signup__text\">A quick dive each week into our reporting on race, power and privilege.<\/p>\n            \n            <div class=\"article-email-signup__form\">\n                <!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n    <form action=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=8dc6eceed67f7f012462d0b12&amp;id=ffd1d0160d\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" >\n        <div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n\n            <div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n                <label for=\"mce-EMAIL\">Email address<\/label>\n                <input required=\"required\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n            <\/div>\n            <div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n                <div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->\n            <div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_8dc6eceed67f7f012462d0b12_ffd1d0160d\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"><\/div>\n            <div class=\"clear\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Join\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"btn\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        \n        <!-- The Watchdog group -->\n        <input type=\"hidden\" value=\"4294967296\" name=\"group[16933][4294967296]\" id=\"mce-group[16933]-16933-0\">\n        <!-- The Moment group -->\n        <input type=\"hidden\" value=\"8589934592\" name=\"group[16933][8589934592]\" id=\"mce-group[16933]-16933-1\">\n        \n    <\/form>\n<\/div>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup-->\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>The investigation has also shed light on a chilling reality: A striking number of law enforcement officers, active-duty military members and veterans took part in the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that turned violent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The radicalization of law enforcement forces and the military signals how deeply extremism \u2014 steeped in racism and anti-government convictions \u2014 has penetrated the institutions that are supposed to protect Americans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federal prosecutors have indicted two Virginia police officers and two military veterans from Alabama and Texas for their roles in the riot, which resulted in the deaths of five people \u2014 including U.S. Capitol Police officer<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/08\/officer-killed-in-capitol-attack-was-an-air-national-guard-vet\/\"> Brian Sicknick<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sicknick was fatally struck in the head with a fire extinguisher as the mob stormed and vandalized the Capitol, beat police officers, and \u2014 as egged on by President Donald Trump \u2014 hunted lawmakers to stop them from voting to certify Joe Biden&#8217;s win in the November election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98125\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007777605350.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><figcaption>Ashli Babbitt (Maryland MVA\/Courtesy of the Calvert County Sheriff\u2019s Office via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2021\/01\/09\/ashli-babbitt-capitol-shooting-trump-qanon\/\">Ashli Babbitt<\/a>, an Air Force veteran-turned-QAnon follower, was also killed in the melee \u2014 from a gunshot wound <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/01\/10\/videos-show-fatal-shooting-during-rampage-at-the-capitol\/\">sustained<\/a> while trying to force her way into the House chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two Virginia police officers were arrested this week, days after their selfie taken inside the Capitol was posted on social media and went viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two military veterans were arrested earlier. The Alabama man was taken into custody hours after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/alabama-man-charged-possession-eleven-molotov-cocktails-found-near-protest-us-capitol\">allegedly driving<\/a> his truck to the Capitol carrying 11 molotov cocktails and an assortment of loaded weapons. The Texas man was indicted three days after being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/01\/12\/us\/military-extremism-capitol-riot-invs\/index.html\">photographed<\/a> on the Senate floor wearing combat gear and carrying zip-tie handcuffs, commonly used by law enforcement officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98126\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294933542-scaled-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>After storming the U.S. Capitol, a pro-Trump mob reaches the&nbsp;Senate chamber on Jan. 6.&nbsp;(Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the country, more than a dozen law enforcement agencies have been investigating whether their own members took part in the riot, leading to swift consequences in some cases, according to news accounts and official statements reviewed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Capitol Police said it has suspended &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/capitol-police-officers-suspended\/2021\/01\/11\/0ee0e422-545f-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html\">several<\/a>&#8221; of its officers \u2014 including one seen taking a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bubbaprog\/status\/1346920198461419520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1346920198461419520%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnymag.com%2Fintelligencer%2F2021%2F01%2Ftwo-capitol-cops-suspended-for-actions-during-capitol-riot.html\">selfie<\/a> with rioters and another wearing a Make America Great Again cap while directing rioters at the Capitol \u2014 and placed more than a dozen others under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Troy, New Hampshire, calls for resignation have been growing louder for the town&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.concordmonitor.com\/Trump-protesters-from-NH-38223519\">police chief<\/a>, who attended the Jan. 6 rally \u2014 though he condemned the storming of the Capitol, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2021\/01\/what-the-maga-mob-at-the-capitol-had-to-say-for-itself.html?utm_campaign=nym&amp;utm_source=tw&amp;utm_medium=s1\">telling New York Magazine<\/a> that it&#8217;s &#8220;not going to solve a thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pentagon is also investigating the roles any active-duty military members may have played in the riot. This includes the case of an Army officer who led a group of about 100 Trump supporters from North Carolina to the Jan. 6 rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2021\/01\/11\/army-psyop-officer-resigned-commission-prior-to-leading-group-to-dc-protests\/\">Military Times<\/a>, Capt. Emily Rainey resigned her commission before making her trip to Washington, D.C., though she remains on active-duty status. &#8220;I was a private citizen and doing everything right and within my rights,&#8221; she <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/emily-rainey-army-investigation-capitol-5e3cd1ed9fc23269ce3b74ae55664d90\">told The Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"relation packaged\">\n<div class=\"\" data-sigil=\"relation\">\n<div id=\"police-participation-riots\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/apps.publicintegrity.org\/police-participation-riots\/embed.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside><br><br>\n\n\n\n<p>The mounting reports of rioters in law enforcement and military ranks have alarmed congressional leaders, who are calling for a crackdown on extremists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.duckworth.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/duckworth-calls-for-investigation-and-accountability-over-allegations-that-certain-servicemembers-and-military-retirees-betrayed-the-constitution-during-coup-attempt-\">letter<\/a> to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller on Monday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, asked the Pentagon to work with the FBI and the Capitol Police to investigate whether any active-duty military member or veteran &#8220;engaged in insurrection or participated in a seditious conspiracy&#8221; against the country last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security,&#8221; wrote Duckworth, a combat veteran who served in Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be sure, the threat of extremism embedded in law enforcement and the military is <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/3423189\/CT-Excerpt.pdf\">nothing new<\/a>. A number of prominent extremist groups \u2014 such as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adl.org\/resources\/profiles\/the-oath-keepers\"> the Oath Keepers<\/a>, founded in 2009 by an Army veteran \u2014 have made recruiting from law enforcement and military ranks central to their mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/02\/06\/signs-of-white-supremacy-extremism-up-again-in-poll-of-active-duty-troops\/\">survey<\/a> by Military Times found extremist views were rampant within the military, with more than one-third of all active-duty members saying they had recently witnessed examples of white nationalism and\/or racism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The need to address the threat has taken on urgency this week, in light of the FBI&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/01\/12\/politics\/fbi-statement-armed-protests\/index.html\">warning<\/a> about armed right-wing demonstrations, ahead of Biden&#8217;s inauguration, at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"related-articles\">\n        <div class=\"related-articles__inner\">\n            \n                <h3 class=\"related-articles__head\">Related Articles<\/h3>\n                        <ul class=\"related-articles__items\">\n                                    <li class=\"tz-related\">\n\n                        <div class=\"tz-related__text\">\n\n                                                            <h4 class=\"tz-related__topic\">\n                                    <a class=\"tz-related__topic-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/topics\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/\">Watchdog newsletter<\/a>\n                                <\/h4>\n                            \n                            <h3 class=\"tz-related__title\">\n                                <a class=\"tz-related__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/words-matter-attack-capitol-rally-protest-insurrection\/\">Words matter: Was the attack on the Capitol a rally, protest or insurrection?<\/a>\n                            <\/h3>\n\n                            <p class=\"tz-related__read\">\n                                <a class=\"tz-related__read-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/words-matter-attack-capitol-rally-protest-insurrection\/\">Read\n                                    <svg>\n                                        <use xlink:href=\"#arrow-small\"><\/use>\n                                    <\/svg>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n\n                        <div class=\"tz-related__image\">\n                            <a class=\"tz-related__image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/words-matter-attack-capitol-rally-protest-insurrection\/\">\n                                                                    <img src=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1294935649scaled-100x100-c-default.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/>\n                                                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"tz-related\">\n\n                        <div class=\"tz-related__text\">\n\n                                                            <h4 class=\"tz-related__topic\">\n                                    <a class=\"tz-related__topic-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/topics\/inequality-poverty-opportunity\/\">Inequality, Opportunity and Poverty<\/a>\n                                <\/h4>\n                            \n                            <h3 class=\"tz-related__title\">\n                                <a class=\"tz-related__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inequality-poverty-opportunity\/night-and-day-difference-in-police-response\/\">Q&#038;A: \u2018Night and day\u2019 difference in police response<\/a>\n                            <\/h3>\n\n                            <p class=\"tz-related__read\">\n                                <a class=\"tz-related__read-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inequality-poverty-opportunity\/night-and-day-difference-in-police-response\/\">Read\n                                    <svg>\n                                        <use xlink:href=\"#arrow-small\"><\/use>\n                                    <\/svg>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/p>\n                        <\/div>\n\n                        <div class=\"tz-related__image\">\n                            <a class=\"tz-related__image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inequality-poverty-opportunity\/night-and-day-difference-in-police-response\/\">\n                                                                    <img src=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/AP21007638077553-side-by-side-100x100-c-default.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/>\n                                                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n\n                    <\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, the U.S. Secret Service began <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2021\/01\/13\/national-guard-inauguration-security\/\">taking command<\/a> of security preparations at the Capitol and other federal buildings, backed by as many as 20,000 members of the National Guard and thousands of police officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the uniformed leaders of the military branches, took the rare step of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-election-capitol-military\/in-rare-joint-message-top-us-military-leaders-condemn-capitol-riot-idUSKBN29H2WF\">issuing a memo<\/a> to troops condemning the riot at the Capitol and warning them to follow the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection,&#8221; the memo said. \u201cWe support and defend the Constitution. Any act to disrupt the constitutional process is not only against our traditions, values, and oath; it is against the law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it will require a more sustained effort, fueled by community pressure, to root out extremism in law enforcement and the military, said Devin Burghart, executive director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irehr.org\/\">Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights<\/a>, a Seattle-based group monitoring far-right groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Burghart said the riot at the Capitol was &#8220;a vivid reminder that both law enforcement and the military have severe problems on their hands that need to be addressed.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That should be a wake-up call to all Americans about how deeply the efforts by far-right groups to infiltrate into law enforcement and the military have taken root,&#8221; Burghart said. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to require a lot of work to reverse that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/capitol-attack-underscores-white-supremacist-infiltration\/\">Capitol attack underscores white supremacist infiltration of police, military<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/capitol-attack-underscores-white-supremacist-infiltration\/\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the aftermath of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray vowed to muster the full investigative powers of his agency to bring \u201cviolent agitators and extremists\u201d to justice. The ensuing investigation, billed as \u201cunprecedented\u201d in its scale and scope, has led to the prosecution of more than 70 [\u2026]<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/inside-publici\/newsletters\/watchdog-newsletter\/capitol-attack-underscores-white-supremacist-infiltration\/\">Capitol attack underscores white supremacist infiltration of police, military<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/publicintegrity.org\/\">Center for Public Integrity<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1370,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3500],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17235"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17236,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17235\/revisions\/17236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}