FBI informants were present at Capitol riots, but not agents, watchdog says

FBI informants were  present at Capitol  riots, but  not agents, watchdog  says.

More than two dozen FBI informants were  present in  Washington, D.C., before the  riots at the  U.S. Capitol on January  6, 2021, but no full-time undercover agents were present or  involved in the  riots themselves, according to a new  report from the Department of Justice.
The report said  that none of the  agency's informants were  allowed to enter the Capitol or join the riot, but four did enter the  building.
The report also found that the FBI failed in the  "fundamental step" of  properly utilizing its field offices across the  United States to gather  information that could have predicted the  riots.
Some on the right, including House Republicans, have for years promoted a conspiracy theory that the FBI helped orchestrate the  riots.
On the day of the  riots, a mob stormed the Capitol as the 2020 presidential election was being  certified. Hundreds of people have been arrested and charged for their  involvement.
President-elect Donald Trump has  promised to pardon  "the vast majority" of the  January 6 protesters convicted  when he returns to the White House in  January.
'A man of his  word': January 6 rioters expect Trump  to keep  his pardon promise
The report, from the  Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, found that 26  "confidential human  resources" – or paid informants  – were in Washington on the day of the  riots.
Three of them  were tasked with gathering information  on domestic terrorism cases  and may have  gone to the  January 6  protests, with one  entering the Capitol  building.
The other 23 had not  received orders to  go to the area and did so on their own  initiative. At the time, some were in contact  with or  traveling with members of far-right  groups, including the Proud Boys and  the Oath  Keepers.
Of the 26  people, four confidential sources entered the Capitol during the  riots. Thirteen others entered the restricted area around the  Capitol—a security perimeter  set up in  anticipation of the certification  of the January 6  election.
None of the confidential sources who entered the Capitol or  the surrounding area were among those charged with  wrongdoing.
Confidential sources are different from full-time, trained undercover  agents. The Justice Department defines these sources as those  "credited with providing useful and  reliable information to the  FBI" who  deserve to be treated confidentially.
After the  riots, the FBI came under scrutiny from lawmakers who questioned  its use of informants and  wondered whether more could have been done to gather  information and prevent the  riots from  happening.
Although the report by  Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz determined that the FBI identified  the potential for violence that day and took  "appropriate" action, it missed a  "fundamental step" by not  investigating its  agents in the field  to obtain intelligence on possible incidents.
This step, in turn,  "could have  assisted the FBI and its law enforcement partners  in their  preparations" before the  riots.
Approximately 1,572 people have been  criminally charged in federal court for their participation in the  riots. That figure includes  about 600  people charged with  assault, resisting or  obstructing law  enforcement, and 171  people charged with using a deadly or dangerous  weapon.
Trump — who has  called the rioters  "patriots" and  "political prisoners" — said in a recent interview that he  would "move very  quickly" to pardon  the "vast majority" of  those involved in the  unrest.
Despite the  president-elect's pledge, the  Justice Department has continued to arrest and charge riot  suspects in recent weeks.