FBI Director Wray Senate Hearing was the insurrection an Act of Domestic Terrorism? YES - ABSOLUTELY

There are members of Congress and Americans that seek to blame the FBI, US Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police. Typically for their own personal political expediency. Resist their clarion call...

One would think that the January 6th Insurrection would somehow transcend party lines. That what we all witnessed was an assault on the very building that embodies our Democracy, the United States Capitol Building would be enough for Democrats, Republicans, Independents to set aside their petty political bickering. Previously, I walked you through the current statutory limitations governing Domestic Terrorism and the impact of the ongoing and ever widening criminal investigations into the deadly insurrection. Putting this deeply complex matter into more simplistic data points, found here.

To be clear today’s hearing Director Wray was unambiguous, what happened at our Capitol on Jan6th was (in the FBI”s view)

Domestic Terrorism, acts of Domestic Terrorism…

The FBI defined Domestic terrorism as: “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature”

In today’s Senate hearing FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that his Agents have fielded over 270,000 digital media (files) tips concerning the deadly insurrection. Director Wray also highlighted that some Americans are turning in their; “friends, coworkers and family members”

"Our greatest partner in this investigation has been the American people..”

Further into the Hearing - Senators Leahy and Durbin point blank asked Director Wray if any “anti-government” groups like “Antifa” had perpetrated the Jan 6th insurrection - Director Wray answered that as of now there is no indication that Antifa planned or participated in the deadly insurrection. Thus shutting down the “premeditated” theory to falsely blame Antifa

Director Wray’s written statement can be found here. The FBI position has and will continue to be:

“…we do not and will not tolerate violent extremists who use the guise of First Amendment- protected activity to wreak havoc and incite violence. Thus far, our investigators have identified hundreds of individuals involved in the siege of the Capitol Complex and already charged well over 300 of them. Many of those identifications are the result of the over 200,000 digital media tips…”

Director Wray quantified how the growing threat of domestic terrorism continued to be a top priority for the FBI. Wray also indicated "racially motivated violent extremism" tied to white supremacists is the "biggest chunk" of the FBI's domestic terrorism portfolio.

The persistent and real threat that Domestic Violent Extremists present can be apportioned to the following buckets:

• lethal DVE attacks perpetrated by Anti-Government or Anti-Authority Violent Extremists

• Militia Violent Extremists and Anarchist Violent Extremists.

• Anti-Government or Anti-Authority Violent Extremists were responsible for three of the four lethal DVE attacks in 2020.

The one challenge that continues to not only hamper law enforcement in their investigation(s) is the reliance on encryption- whether it be a simple passcode to unlock a smartphone or the more complex end-to-end encryption. This is where the FBI in particular continues to face challenges of “access” to electronic devices. Again this is a balance of National Security and what most Americans hold dear, our “constitutional aka civil rights” as it relates to privacy in the digital age.

As Director Wray stated in his opener statement these challenges have an impact on investigations;

“…does have a negative effect on law enforcement’s ability to protect the public. What we mean when we talk about lawful access is putting providers who manage encrypted data in a position to decrypt it and provide it to us in response to legal process”

Simply put end-to-end encryption (ETEE) makes the FBI’s job that much harder, that ETEE requires additional judicially authorized approval and it adds time -which is difficult to enumerate if FBI agents are in a “race against time” to thwart a potential terror attack. For Example Director Wray spoke about how the Militia Groups conspired to kidnap and kill the Michigan Governor and how the use of ETEE essentially hid the communications from law enforcement but the FBI & State and Local Law Enforcement partners had a well placed human source that helped thwart that act of extreme violence. On a whole the ETEE challenges also impact law enforcement to track child exploitation and trafficking. The disparities of Apple and other social media giants as it relates to child exploitation- the numbers are shocking…

Ted Cruz comedy break -beclownment

At the end of the day some will try to blame the FBI, some will try to blame US Capitol Police and some will try to falsely (I can not believe that Sedition Senator Josh-y-grand-Pooh-bah) said the DC Mayor is the Commander in Chief of the DC National Guard - that’s like basic civics lessons. The City of Washington DC does not have the same rights as a Governor of a State. No really that’s just awful and awkward that Josh beckoned himself. No one and I mean know one could have prepared for what happened at our Capitol and to do a post-mortem trying to blame law enforcement means you’re not actually blaming who you should: Donald J Trump, his surrogates and his indoctrinated radical followers. They are to blame. Period. Full Stop

Again The HonorableChristopher A. Wray. Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington , DC Download Testimony

At any rate this seems like a decent bookend to my previous article

Was the Jan 6th Insurrection, an act of Domestic Terrorism? Why have there been zero charges for “Domestic Terrorism” - found here.