In an exclusive report, Reuters reveals that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was getting information from four members of the far-right nationalist group the Proud Boys prior to the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol, but that information was primarily about activities of antifa.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate Judiciary Committee on the January 6th attack that he wished they had more information coming from the Proud Boys, but he failed to advise them that they already had cooperating informants within the organization. Reuters learned that the information the FBI was gaining from Proud Boys leaders primarily related to the activities of antifa, a loosely-affiliated collection of left-wing activists.
At least four members of Proud Boys have provided information to the FBI, some as early as 2019. The disclosed connection to the right-wing group raises questions about how the Bureau was leveraging their contacts within the group.
“This was a group committing violence in public and promoting themselves as a violent group,” said Mike German, a former FBI agent who investigated domestic terrorism. German previously has criticized the bureau over what he says was a failure to focus on the Proud Boys ahead of the January 6th coup attempt. Told of the findings of this story by Reuters, German said: “It’s hard to understand how the FBI could have had a relationship with four individuals in the Proud Boys and didn’t understand the nature of the threat to the Capitol.”
One of those confirmed to have been cooperating with the FBI is Joseph Biggs. Biggs was interviewed by Reuters days before the January 6th attack and told the reporter that the Proud Boys had specific plans for the day of Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally. He said he would share the information with his FBI contact, but he hadn’t been asked about it.
Reportedly, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was continuing to provide information to the FBI, even though he was arrested on weapons charges before the January 6th attack.