WASHINGTON, D.C. – An Arizona man who had appeared in multiple videos from the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol Building – whom some controversially allege may have actually been a government plant – was the subject of questions posed to Attorney General Merrick Garland during a House oversight hearing last week.
Ray Epps, a Queen Creek resident, was in videos shown by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to Garland while questioning the Attorney General about the attack on the Capital. Massie not only inquired about Epps specifically, but also about unproven conspiracy theories that federal agents had covertly infiltrated the rioters with the goal of inciting them to enter the Capitol Building.
The video Massie played for Garland featured Epps telling supporters of former President Donald Trump on January 5 that they needed to enter the U.S. Capitol; a second video shows Epps on January 6 actively directing Trump supporters toward the building itself. However, it is currently unknown if Epps himself entered.
Epps had once been featured on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for his alleged role as a Capitol rioter, and was later quietly scrubbed from the list for unknown reasons. He has yet to be charged with any crime, despite the purported evidence against him.
After Massie had showed the videos and photographs to Garland, he pointed out to the AG that – despite the Department of Justice (DOJ) conducting a high-profile search of those who had stormed the Capital Building – Epps had not been prosecuted.
“As far as we can find, this individual has not been charged with anything,” Massie said. “You said this is one of the most sweeping investigations in history.”
After Garland responded that the DOJ doesn’t comment on “pending investigations,” Massie inquired if any U.S. government employees had been covertly involved in agitating the rioters.
“Can you tell us – without talking about particular incidents or particular videos – how many agents or assets of the federal government were present on January 6? Whether they agitated to go into the Capitol and if any of them did?” Massie asked.
“I’m not going to comment on an investigation that’s ongoing,” Garland said once again.
Massie later issued a tweet where he expressed anger at Garland’s lack of answers.
“On the basis that there’s a pending investigation, AG Garland refused to answer yesterday when I asked how many federal agents were among the crowd on Jan 5&6,” he said. “If he’s going to withhold evidence from Congress on this basis, why does the Jan 6 Committee even exist?”
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