FBI Bombshell: 274 Agents Secretly Deployed to Capitol on Jan. 6 — Many Say They Were Used as “Political Pawns”
A long-buried FBI after-action report has surfaced, revealing that the bureau deployed 274 plainclothes agents armed and undercover during the Jan. 6, 2021 unrest at the U.S. Capitol — a deployment so chaotic that many within the bureau accused leadership of abandoning core law enforcement duties in favor of political agendas.
The 50-page report, uncovered by FBI Director Kash Patel and delivered to the House Judiciary Committee, contains stunning internal criticism. Dozens of agents complained that under former Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray, the bureau had become “woke,” “liberally biased,” and more focused on diversity checkboxes and mask mandates than catching criminals. Many described feeling unsafe, unprepared, and used as “pawns in a political war.”
One agent warned bluntly:
“The FBI should make clear to its personnel and the public that, despite its obvious political bias, it ultimately still takes its mission and priorities seriously. It should equally and aggressively investigate criminal activity regardless of the offenders’ perceived race, political affiliations, or motivations; and it should equally and aggressively protect all Americans regardless of perceived race, political affiliations, or motivations.”
Another agent was even more direct:
“WFO is a hopelessly broken office that’s more concerned about wearing masks and recruiting preferred racial/sexual groups than catching actual bad guys.”
Agents Sent Into Chaos Without Protection
According to the report, the FBI deployed its personnel into the Capitol area without riot training, helmets, or protective gear — leaving agents unable to even identify themselves to other law enforcement officers amid the chaos.
“If you are going to deploy us to a riot situation, then give us the proper damn safety equipment—helmet, face shield, protective clothing—and training!” one frustrated agent wrote.
Another added that they were simply told to “stand behind MPD” without clear orders:
“FBI agents do not have training for, nor equipment for, riot control.”
Allegations of Political Bias and Double Standards
The most repeated complaint: the FBI treated Jan. 6 defendants far more harshly than left-wing agitators during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots.
“Our response to the Capitol Riot reeks of political bias,” one agent wrote, while another warned:
“We have been used as pawns in a political war, and FBI leadership fell into the trap and has allowed it to happen.”
Another agent blasted the DOJ’s role in the problem, saying the U.S. Attorney’s Office was dictating investigations for political purposes:
“Their willingness to conduct a search warrant on someone’s life for a misdemeanor seems ridiculous.”
The report also documents agents’ fury that SWAT teams were deployed to arrest Americans on misdemeanor charges tied to Jan. 6 — something never done during the violent summer riots of 2020.
“The conspiracy to commit crimes at the Capitol on January 6th, were also committed by bad actors during the summer riots of 2020,” one agent recalled. “Yet our response then was nothing like the Capitol Riots response on and after January 6, 2021.”
Lawmakers Demand Answers
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk say the findings are explosive.
“Due to our oversight, Chairman Loudermilk’s leadership and Director Patel’s leadership, we continue to discover what exactly happened on Jan. 6,” said Jordan’s spokesman Russell Dye.
Loudermilk added:
“This report is more damning than anyone could have imagined and opens up even more questions. Why is Congress just finding out there were significantly more FBI assets at the Capitol than previously identified? Were the courts that heard cases regarding January 6 made aware these agents were at the Capitol?”
The revelations could have major implications for Jan. 6 prosecutions. If undercover FBI agents witnessed events at the Capitol but failed to disclose their presence in court filings, defense attorneys may now have grounds for appeal.
Despite the evidence, former Director Wray continued to deny bias, telling Congress in 2023:
“The idea that I’m biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background.”
But the words of frontline agents tell a different story. Many believed the bureau lost its integrity long before Jan. 6.
“We are supposed to call balls and strikes, regardless of political pressure, now we can’t even be trusted to be on the field,” one agent lamented.