WASHINGTON – U.S.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), incoming Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), incoming Ranking Member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) requesting additional information
regarding the security posture and planning provided in advance of and during
the January 6, 2021, Joint Session of Congress. In a letter to Acting Attorney
General Monty Wilkinson and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Durbin and Grassley
note that emerging reports have raised serious concerns about the adequacy of
preparations by DOJ and FBI, and requested answers to a series of questions
about the security failures that spanned multiple agencies.
“We
are writing to gather additional information regarding the security posture and
planning provided in advance of and during the January 6, 2021, Joint Session
of Congress (‘Joint Session’). The security failures that enabled the
January 6 attack span multiple agencies, and emerging reports raise serious
concerns about the adequacy of preparations by the Department of Justice (DOJ)
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” wrote
Durbin and Grassley. “It is essential that we obtain a complete accounting
of your preparation for and response to the events of January 6.”
Separately,
Durbin and Grassley announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee would conduct
an oversight hearing with Director Wray on March 2nd. This will be Wray’s first
Congressional appearance since the January 6th attack on the Capitol and his
first appearance in before the Judiciary Committee since 2019.
Full
text of the today’s letter is available
here and below:
February 2, 2021
Dear
Acting Attorney General Wilkinson and Director Wray:
We are
writing to gather additional information regarding the security posture and
planning provided in advance of and during the January 6, 2021, Joint Session
of Congress (“Joint Session”). The security failures that enabled the
January 6 attack span multiple agencies, and emerging reports raise serious
concerns about the adequacy of preparations by the Department of Justice (DOJ)
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
It is
essential that we obtain a complete accounting of your preparation for and
response to the events of January 6. To that end, we request responses to
the following questions:
- What actions did DOJ and FBI take to address concerns
about a violent attack at the Capitol in the days leading up to January 6?
For example, did you establish a command post at FBI headquarters or the
FBI’s Washington Field Office before the attack on the Capitol began? What
actions did you take to ensure additional law enforcement resources from
the FBI or other DOJ components were available to address a mass attack?
- How did DOJ and FBI coordinate planning for the events
of January 6 with other intelligence and law enforcement agencies and
departments, including the United States Capitol Police, District of
Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, United States Park Police,
Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense?
- What information did you possess about threats or
threat actors related to the events that ultimately transpired on January
6, including individuals listed on the Terrorist Screening Database (or
any other federal watch list available to the FBI) or otherwise affiliated
with domestic violent extremist movements?
- Please produce all documents and
communications that refer or relate to such threats, including
intelligence bulletins, threat assessments, situational information
reports, briefing materials, and requests for assistance.
- Did you prepare an intelligence bulletin
or threat assessment about the risk of violence on January 6 for external
or internal consumption? Why or why not?
- What information about these threats did
you share with federal, state, or local departments and agencies, and
with which departments and agencies did you share it and when?
- What communications did you have with
technology companies about posts on their platforms concerning plans for
violence on January 6?
- What role did DOJ and FBI play in the immediate law
enforcement response to the attack on the Capitol on January 6? Please
describe the role you played, what requests for assistance you received,
and how you responded to those requests.
- Please describe the organization and scope of the law
enforcement and prosecutorial response to the events of January 6.
- What FBI and DOJ components are involved
in the response, and who is coordinating it?
- What guidance have prosecutors been given
about charging decisions in connection with the events of January 6?
- Has anyone been tasked with reviewing the
role of domestic violent extremist movements in enabling the attack on
the Capitol? If so, who? If not, why not?
- What steps are you taking to disrupt threats of future
violence by domestic violent extremist movements?
Please
provide responses to these questions as soon as possible, and no later than
February 16. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
-30-