The Biden DOJ potentially violated agency protocol during the investigation into the Capitol riot that occurred on January 6, 2021, according to memos recently released by FBI Director Kash Patel. The memos show the FBI paid anti-Trump informants known as “Sedition Hunters” during the course of the Arctic Frost probe, which was set up to investigate the event.
The Sedition Hunters were tasked with reviewing video footage and identifying individuals present at the Capitol using facial recognition software. The group reportedly demonstrated outspoken anti-Trump bias and had known foreign ties, two elements that Director Patel alleges may have violated agency policy outlined in the Domestic Investigation and Operations Guide (DIOG). The alleged violations essentially resulted in a weaponization of the agency, according to Director Patel.
The information in the FBI memos supports the findings of other Republican lawmakers who have examined the agency’s conduct during the Arctic Frost probe. Last fall, the release of 197 subpoenas issued during the Arctic Frost probe revealed potential political bias of the agency under the Biden administration. At the time the subpoenas were released, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, referred to the investigation as a “vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI, joined Sen. Grassley in condemning the actions of the FBI, saying the subpoenas issued during the Arctic Frost probe amounted to “nothing short of a Biden administration enemies list.”
The “Sedition Hunter” memos reveal at least $150,000 in payments made to informants both for tracking facial recognition of protestors and investigating Trump supporters for promoting alternative electors following the 2020 presidential election.
Director Patel spoke about the information contained in the memos, stressing that Americans deserve to know the truth about the events of January 6 and the investigation that followed, including how the FBI was “weaponized” against them.
“Paying openly anti-Trump activists to identify Americans using questionable technology is a stunning abuse of bureau authorities and a clear violation of longstanding informant rules,” Patel said.
The FBI is set to reveal all payments made to Sedition Hunters under the Biden DOJ to Congress, along with related information showing that the agency, under Christopher Wray’s leadership, may have violated policy by engaging partisan informants during the Arctic Frost probe. Director Patel stressed that these revelations will be a step towards promoting transparency and protecting the American people from politicized investigations in the future.