DOJ internal watchdog opens investigation into Capitol riots

The Department of Justice announced Friday it has initiated an internal review of its response to the Jan. 6 incursion on the U.S. Capitol building, as the federal government takes a hard look at its failure to prevent a deadly riot that breached the halls of Congress.

DOJ’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, said that the investigation will examine the intelligence the department had preceding the deadly riots, how it distributed that information with other agencies, and actions during the crisis.

“The DOJ OIG also will assess whether there are any weaknesses in DOJ protocols, policies, or procedures that adversely affected the ability of DOJ or its components to prepare effectively for and respond to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6,” the department said in a release.

DOJ does not have purview over either Washington D.C.’s local police department nor the force tasked with guarding the U.S. Capitol, meaning the review is likely to center on the department’s leadership and the FBI.

New information and footage of the day's events continue to surface in the wake of the riot, further underscoring the level of chaos and violence that was present during the riot. The details have raised uncomfortable questions about how close it came to being far more tragic.

It’s one of several probes that have been launched in the wake of the deadly insurrection. Inspectors general for the Interior Department, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense have all launched examinations of their respective responses to the insurrection and vowed to coordinate with one another.

The DoD IG's office said it would begin a "multidisciplinary review" this month "to determine the DoD’s roles, responsibilities, and actions to prepare for, and respond to, the planned protest and its aftermath at the U.S. Capitol campus on January 6, 2021," according to the announcement.

Congress has also vowed to investigate the Capitol Police’s preparations in the run up to that day after members were stunned and unnerved to see the well funded department so thoroughly ill-prepared to handle the mob.

The Pentagon initially authorized 340 unarmed National Guardsmen at the request of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. They primarily assisted support local police around the city with things like traffic and crowd control ahead of a rally headlined by President Donald Trump. S

Once the protests turned violent and Capitol Police became overwhelmed, it initially took defense officials about 30 minutes to work through questions related to Bowser's request for additional support, make a determination to grant it and get the approval of acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said. Within hours Miller had authorized thousands more personnel across six states to help restore order in the city.

The Pentagon IG's office said it would begin a "multidisciplinary review" this month "to determine the DOD’s roles, responsibilities, and actions to prepare for, and respond to, the planned protest and its aftermath at the U.S. Capitol campus on January 6, 2021," according to the announcement.

Leadership at DOJ, and the FBI in particular, has come under scrutiny for its level of visibility in the aftermath of the riots. FBI Director Christopher Wray went more than a week before making his first public appearance on Thursday at a pre-inauguration security briefing with Vice President Mike Pence and other top security officials.

During the event, Wray said that there have been more than 100 arrests made related to the Jan. 6 takeover of the Capitol by an unruly, violent mob, and that some 200 potential suspects have been identified thus far.

Federal and local officials have been scrambling in the wake of the uprising to secure the Capitol and surrounding area ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 and to avoid another catastrophic situation as political tensions remain high.

Large swaths of the city are being blocked off to most pedestrian traffic by police and armed members of the National Guard in recent days, public transportation is being limited in the area, and additional security barriers are being installed around the Capitol complex.

More than 20,000 members of the National Guard have been authorized to bolster the manpower throughout the city in the lead-up to Inauguration Day, and the city is going to be under heightened security measures through at least Jan. 24.

Laura Seligman contributed to this report.