FBI Agents Say They Were Used as ‘Political Pawns’ During Jan. 6 Deployment

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – More than four years after questions first emerged about federal involvement in the events of January 6, 2021, the FBI has disclosed to Congress that it deployed 274 plainclothes agents into the crowds at the U.S. Capitol, Blaze News reported.

The revelation, which contrasts with prior statements by the Justice Department inspector general (OIG) denying undercover presence, comes alongside the release of a long-buried FBI after-action report detailing internal dissent and accusations of political bias within the bureau.

Agents, Informants, and Questions of Incitement

The December 2024 OIG report had stated it found “no evidence” of undercover FBI employees in protest crowds, while acknowledging that 26 confidential human sources (informants) were present — four of whom entered the Capitol. None, the report insisted, had been authorized to commit crimes or encourage illegal acts.

However, lawmakers now suggest that the distinction between “plainclothes” agents and “undercover” employees may help explain the apparent contradiction. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Jan. 6 Select Subcommittee, said his panel will press the FBI for details.

“With that many paid informants being in the crowd, we want to know how many were in the building, and were they paid to inform or instigate?” Loudermilk told Just the News.

Agents on the Ground Without Safety Gear

The after-action review, recently unearthed by FBI Director Kash Patel’s team and turned over to Congress, paints a stark picture of internal frustrations. Dozens of agents complained they were deployed without riot gear or clear instructions, creating dangerous confusion as they mingled with other law enforcement agencies.

“WFO [Washington Field Office] is a hopelessly broken office that’s more concerned about wearing masks and recruiting preferred racial/sexual groups than catching actual bad guys,” one agent wrote. Another added: “If you are going to deploy us to a riot situation, then give us the proper safety equipment—helmet, face shield, protective clothing—and training!”

Complaints of Double Standards

Many rank-and-file FBI employees accused leadership of a political double standard, treating Jan. 6 rioters more aggressively than those arrested after the 2020 Black Lives Matter unrest.
“Our response to the Capitol Riot reeks of political bias,” one agent wrote. “We watched cities burn across America … yet our response then was nothing like the Capitol Riots response.”

Another lamented: “We have been used as pawns in a political war, and FBI leadership fell into the trap.”

Potential Fallout for Jan. 6 Cases

The new disclosures raise questions about the integrity of Jan. 6 prosecutions. If FBI agents were present inside the Capitol but not identified as witnesses in subsequent court filings, defense attorneys could use that as grounds for appeals.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the findings open “even more questions” about the government’s actions that day.

“Why is Congress just finding out there were significantly more FBI assets at the Capitol than previously identified?” Loudermilk asked. “Were the courts aware? Were agents called to testify? These are just a few of the questions my committee will be asking.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray, who previously refused to disclose the number of agents, has rejected accusations of bias. “The idea that I’m biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background,” Wray told Congress in 2023.

But with the bureau’s own personnel describing Jan. 6 as politically charged and dangerously mismanaged, lawmakers say the debate over the FBI’s role in the riot is far from over.

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