Washington, DC – This evening, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) wrote to Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and FBI Director Christopher Wray calling for a detailed report on actions the Department of Justice and FBI are taking to investigate the mob attack on the Capitol on January 6. The Senate Judiciary Committee members request a written response to their questions by January 15, as well as a telephone briefing as soon as possible.
Full text of the senators’ letter is below. A PDF copy is available here.
The Honorable Jeffrey A. Rosen
Acting Attorney General
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
The Honorable Christopher A. Wray
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535
Dear Acting Attorney General Rosen and Director Wray,
On January 6, 2021, a violent mob broke into and looted the United States Capitol, leading to injuries and deaths, including the death of a United States Capitol Police officer. The swift and effective investigation and prosecution of those who illegally broke into the Capitol and those who incited them to do so is essential. Please assure us that the necessary steps are being taken to identify and prosecute the participants in this crime. Early failures to gather evidence can impede later prosecutions.
In particular, please advise us:
- What steps are being taken to collect and preserve evidence, including electronic evidence on social media platforms, that may be necessary for prosecutions?
- Have any requests for evidence or for the preservation of evidence been made?
- Who is coordinating the law enforcement response to the events of January 6, and what law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial offices are involved in this effort?
- Is there any formal task force or other prosecution team being assembled to address what may be many hundreds of prosecutions?
- Has anyone been tasked to review the role in this incident of right wing domestic terrorist groups or other criminal enterprises?
Please respond to this letter at your earliest convenience and no later than January 15, 2021. We also request a telephone briefing as quickly as one can be arranged.
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