Page:Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.pdf/721

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APPENDIX 1
695

seemed fine with utilizing the resources we had."[13] Chief Sund added that, by that time, he had already deployed "all the available resources."[14]

The Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS I&A) were also aware of the increased online interest in the Capitol tunnels. The FBI's special agent in charge of the intelligence division at the Washington Field Office, Jennifer Moore, pointed out that there was nothing illegal about discussing the tunnels. Without a very specific discussion of violence, it was a matter of ensuring that the appropriate law enforcement partner agencies were aware of the uptick, ensuring that the Capitol Police were aware.[15] "People's First Amendment rights, obviously, are protected. We cannot troll—can['t] just troll the internet looking for things that's out there," Moore said.[16] "So it would have to be with such specificity and such planning and such detail that we would be able to open a case, immediately seek authority for an undercover, have enough probable cause for that undercover off of one tip would be tough."[17]

Other agencies were also surfacing indications and receiving tips. On December 26, 2020, the Secret Service received a tip about the Proud Boys detailing plans of having "a large enough group to march into DC armed and will outnumber the police so they can't be stopped."[18] It stressed, "Their plan is to literally kill people . . . . Please please take this tip seriously and investigate further."[19] On December 24th, the Secret Service received a compilation of social media posts from "SITE," a private intelligence group. One of them urged that protesters "march into the chambers."[20] Another, referring to President Trump's December 19th "will be wild!" post, wrote that Trump "can't exactly openly tell you to revolt," so the December 19th post was "the closest he'll ever get."[21] Another understood the President's tweet to be urging his supporters to come to Washington "armed."[22] Others were to the same effect ("there is not enough cops in DC to stop what is coming,"[23] "make sure they know who to fear,"[24] and "waiting for Trump to say the word"[25]).

By December 28th, that compilation had reached the newly installed head of the Capitol Police intelligence unit, Jack Donohue.[26] The same day, a self-styled "internet expert" who had been "tracking online far right extremism for years" sent an email to the Capitol Police public information inbox warning of "countless tweets from Trump supporters saying they will be armed," and of tweets "from people organizing to 'storm the Capitol' on January 6th."[27] She added, "January 6th will be the day most of these people realize there's no chance left for Trump. They'll be pushed to what they feel is the edge," noting that many would be armed and that she was, for the first time, "truly worried."[28] Other senior Capitol Police officers do not recall seeing that email before the January 6th attack.[29] The next day,