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Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, put the pressure on FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday during a hearing in which the House Judiciary Committee grilled the bureau’s leader over Ray Epps, an infamous figure who emerged in the aftermath of Jan. 6, 2021, for his alleged role in the “insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol.
“He was number 16 on your FBI most wanted list,” Nehls pointed out, showing a video montage depicting Epps encouraging protestors to enter the U.S. Capitol Building.
See the video here:
Ray Epps was present at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and was captured on video telling protestors to go “into the Capitol,” which has led many people to theorize that Epps was an alleged federal agent who deliberately stirred up chaos in 2021. However, Epps has strongly denied this accusation.
Per Axios, Epps is currently suing Fox News for defamation regarding comments made by former host Tucker Carlson that he believes fueled the alleged conspiracy theory that he was a law enforcement official. In his lawsuit, he called the claims “fantastical.”
Rep. Nehls pointed out that the FBI had arrested “hundreds” of people related to the Jan. 6 protestors and those who breached Capitol grounds, and yet Mr. Epps had not yet been arrested.
He asked Director Wray if Mr. Epps would be arrested. Wray replied, “I’m not going to engage here in a discussion about individual people who are or are not going to be prosecuted.”
Rep. Nehls pointed out the double standard regarding arrests of non-violent Jan. 6 protestors and the lack of action in dealing potential justice to Ray Epps.
He said, “If you don’t arrest Mr. Epps, there’s a reason behind it. I believe you know what it is — and it appears to me you are protecting this guy. I strongly recommend you get your house back in order.”
Interestingly, in Epps’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News, documents revealed that he was set to be criminally charged by the DOJ for his actions surrounding Jan. 6. “The relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure likely resulted in these charges,” the suit alleged.
