The leadership of the Capitol Police received ample warning that the Capitol complex was the target of the domestic terrorists who swarmed the building on January 6th, but failed to properly prepare and brief the force for the coming insurrectionists, the New York Times reports.

The 104-page report by the agencies Inspector General Michael A. Bolton found the Capitol Police leaders received explicit warnings that they failed to act on.  Bolton also found that commanders distributed defective riot gear and ordered their Civil Disturbance Unit to refrain from using available riot-suppression tools like stun grenades.

“Unlike previous postelection protests, the targets of the pro-Trump supporters are not necessarily the counterprotesters as they were previously, but rather Congress itself is the target on the 6th,” the threat assessment said, according to the inspector general’s report. “Stop the Steal’s propensity to attract white supremacists, militia members, and others who actively promote violence may lead to a significantly dangerous situation for law enforcement and the general public alike.”

Three days before the attack, Capitol Police received an intelligence briefing that supporters of Donald Trump were planning on undertaking violent acts to protest Trump’s loss and his claimed, but debunked, fraudulent election results.  However, Capitol Police leadership failed to properly prepare their officers.

Bolton said that the problems stemmed from a confusing chain of command, resulting in a lack of “guidance that clearly documents channels for efficiently and effectively disseminating intelligence information to all of its personnel.”

Thanks to Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture for the tip.