Alleged Capitol rioter’s brother was head of Michelle Obama’s security detail

Biba Adams
·2 min read
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Scott Fairlamb’s lawyer told CNN his client’s Secret Service-agent brother was unaware of his kin’s involvement in Jan. 6 insurrection.

A man who has been accused of participating in the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol Building is reportedly the brother of a Secret Service agent.

That agent, Preston Fairlamb III, once led the security detail of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Scott Fairlamb, shown in photos from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, faces an array of charges from the deadly incident. His brother, Preston Fairlamb III, and First Lady Michelle Obama “became real friends,” she wrote in her book. (DOJ)
Scott Fairlamb, shown in photos from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, faces an array of charges from the deadly incident. His brother, Preston Fairlamb III, and First Lady Michelle Obama “became real friends,” she wrote in her book. (DOJ)

In Becoming, her 2018 memoir, Mrs. Obama references him by name, writing: “All of us grew close to our agents over time. Preston Fairlamb led my detail then.” She attended the funeral of his father in 2012 and noted that she and the agent “became real friends.”

Scott Fairlamb has been charged with assaulting a federal officer, carrying a dangerous weapon, certain acts during civil disorder, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

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The man is a gym owner in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Fairlamb Fit made news this summer after opening in contradiction to coronavirus restrictions issued by Gov. Phil Murphy.

Fairlamb attorney Harley Breite told CNN his client’s Secret Service-agent brother was not aware of his kin’s involvement in the riot.

“He was not privy to anything that my client is alleged to have done that day,” said Breite.

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Neither the Secret Service nor the Obamas have made a statement on the matter.

Scott Fairlamb — a former MMA fighter who was known as “Wildman” — was identified after posting videos to his Facebook page capturing himself at the Capitol. He later deleted them. In one, he is reportedly seen shoving and punching an officer on the west front of the Capitol.

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Fairlamb, charged Friday, was released on a $50,000 bond and is on home detention with an electronic tether.

One Fairlamb acquaintance told The Huffington Post they “feel for his wife, family, employees, and community, but I have zero empathy for him. He’s had too many chances over the years to correct his pattern of bullying behavior ― all while portraying himself as a ‘good guy with a Batman cape’ in his hometown.”

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