WASHINGTON — A member of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys was in communication with an individual related to the White House within the days simply earlier than the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, in response to a legislation enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
Location, mobile and name file information revealed a name tying a Proud Boys member to the Trump White House, the official stated. The F.B.I. has not decided what they mentioned, and the official wouldn’t reveal the names of both get together.
The connection revealed by the communications information comes because the F.B.I. intensifies its investigation of contacts amongst far-right extremists, Trump White House associates and conservative members of Congress within the days earlier than the assault.
The similar information has revealed no proof of communications between the rioters and members of Congress through the lethal assault, the official stated. That undercuts Democratic allegations that some Republican lawmakers have been energetic individuals that day.
Separately, Enrique Tarrio, a pacesetter of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys, advised The New York Times on Friday that he referred to as Roger J. Stone Jr., a detailed affiliate of former President Donald J. Trump’s, whereas at a protest in entrance of the house of Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida. During the protest, which occurred within the days earlier than the Capitol assault, he put Mr. Stone on speaker telephone to deal with the gathering.
A legislation enforcement official stated that it was not Mr. Tarrio’s communication with Mr. Stone that was being scrutinized, and that the decision made in entrance of Mr. Rubio’s dwelling was a special matter. That two members of the group have been in communication with individuals related to the White House underscores the entry that violent extremist teams just like the Proud Boys needed to the White House and to individuals near the previous president.
Mr. Stone denied “any involvement or knowledge of the attack on the Capitol” in an announcement final month to The Times.
Mr. Tarrio was arrested in Washington on Jan. 4 on expenses of destruction of property for his function within the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner that had been torn from a historic Black church throughout a protest in Washington in December. He was requested to depart the town, and was not current when the Capitol was attacked. His case is pending.
The Justice Department has charged greater than a dozen members of the Proud Boys with crimes associated to the assault, together with conspiracy to impede the ultimate certification of President Biden’s electoral victory and to assault legislation enforcement officers.
In court docket papers, federal prosecutors have stated teams of Proud Boys additionally coordinated journey to Washington and shared lodging close to the town, with the intent of disrupting Congress and advancing Mr. Trump’s efforts to unlawfully preserve his grip on the presidency.
The communication between the particular person related to the White House and the member of the Proud Boys was found partially by way of information that the F.B.I. obtained from know-how and telecommunications firms instantly after the assault.
Court paperwork present F.B.I. warrants for a listing of all of the telephones related to the cell towers serving the Capitol, and that it acquired info from the most important cellphone carriers on the numbers referred to as by everybody on the Capitol’s cell towers through the riot, three officers aware of the investigation stated.
The F.B.I. additionally obtained a “geofence” warrant for all of the Android units that Google recorded inside the constructing through the assault, the officers stated. A geofence warrant legally offers legislation enforcement a listing of cell units which can be capable of be recognized in a selected geographic space. Jill Sanborn, the top of counterterrorism on the F.B.I., testified earlier than a Senate panel on Wednesday that every one the info the F.B.I. had gathered in its investigation into the riot was obtained legally by way of subpoenas and search warrants.
Although investigators have discovered no contact between the rioters and members of Congress through the assault, these information have proven proof within the days main as much as Jan. 6 of communications between far-right extremists and lawmakers who have been planning to seem on the rally that includes Mr. Trump that occurred simply earlier than the assault, in response to one of many officers.
The Justice Department is analyzing these communications, nevertheless it has not opened investigations into any members, the official stated. A division spokesman declined to remark.
The F.B.I. did, nonetheless, say on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department aide on expenses associated to the assault, together with illegal entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and legislation enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a harmful weapon.
The former midlevel aide, Federico G. Klein, who was seen in movies assaulting officers with a stolen riot defend, was the primary member of the Trump administration to face legal expenses in reference to the storming of the Capitol. His lawyer declined to touch upon Friday.
Right-wing extremists, together with members of the Oath Keepers, a militia group that primarily contains former legislation enforcement and navy personnel, have been working as safety guards for Republicans and for Mr. Trump’s allies, reminiscent of Mr. Stone.
Mr. Stone, who was pardoned by Mr. Trump after refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the Trump marketing campaign’s contacts with Russian intelligence, has recognized Mr. Tarrio for a while and used Oath Keepers as bodyguards earlier than and on the day of the assault on the Capitol.
The Justice Department is wanting into communications between Mr. Stone and far-right extremists to find out whether or not he performed any function in plans by extremists to disrupt the certification on Jan. 6, in response to two individuals aware of the matter who weren’t approved to talk about the investigation.
Should investigators discover messages exhibiting that Mr. Stone had any connection to such plans, they’d have a factual foundation to open a full legal investigation into him, the individuals stated.
Mr. Stone stated final month that he was “provided voluntary security by the Oath Keepers,” however famous that their safety work didn’t represent proof that he was concerned in, or knowledgeable about, plans to assault Congress. He reiterated an earlier assertion that anybody concerned within the assault needs to be prosecuted.
The Justice Department has charged greater than 300 individuals with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6 assault. It has used proof gathered in its broad manhunt for assailants — together with info from mobile suppliers and know-how firms — to assist piece collectively proof of extra subtle crimes, like conspiracy.
It can be taking a look at doable expenses of seditious conspiracy, in response to two individuals aware of the investigation.
Katie Benner and Adam Goldman reported from Washington, and Alan Feuer from New York. Jennifer Valentino-DeVries contributed reporting from New York.
