In the lead-up to and during the insurrection on January 6, a government watchdog group has obtained a collection of text messages from federal Homeland Security authorities who were responding to the influx of Donald Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol. These text messages span hundreds of pages and provide insights into the events unfolding on that fateful day.
The release of the redacted texts came about due to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The organization had raised concerns about deleted texts exchanged between government agency workers. Their request for records from December 1, 2020, to January 6, 2021, specifically focused on any plans related to demonstrations, gatherings, disruptions, threats, attacks, or riots in Washington on that day.
The group shared information about the texts on its website on Wednesday.
According to the watchdog group, someone attempted to obtain a crowd estimate at 9:33 in the morning.
At 9:33 a.m., someone texted me saying “A LOT.”
Chris Tomney, the Director of the Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness, stated at 1:36 p.m. that he was aware of the fact that members of the mob were armed.
He wrote in a text, according to CREW, expressing his curiosity about the number of unknown weapons found so far. He pondered the possibility of there being even more weapons that have yet to be discovered, which could potentially make the situation more dangerous during nighttime activities.
By 1:43 that afternoon, a text message circulated, reporting that there were “thousands of people flooding the streets.”
According to the records, the reply given was to “do your best.”
After the Capitol was breached by rioters, an officer inquired about deployment and received the response, “You are not engaging at this time [redacted]. Get as close as you can.”
The chaos elicited a response from the officials.
During the conversation, one person expressed their astonishment by exclaiming, “Are you seeing this?”
“Wow, that’s insane,” another person exclaimed.
One official, in a text exchange at approximately 5:30 p.m., expressed, “I don’t think I’ll be leaving here anytime soon,” according to the CREW report.
The response was filled with laughter and excitement, as the person enthusiastically exclaimed, “Lol!!! Make that money!!” This remark clearly highlighted the desire to earn extra income through overtime work.
In 2022, CREW took legal action, accusing several federal agencies of unlawfully deleting texts and information related to the events of January 6. These pieces of evidence were requested for investigations into the attack.
The group argues that the missing records could hold crucial evidence regarding the “unprecedented attack on American democracy.” According to CREW’s lawsuit, these records have the potential to reveal the reasons behind the government’s unpreparedness and the actions (or lack thereof) taken by officials in the Trump administration. Additionally, the information contained in these records may provide evidence of criminal misconduct or other forms of wrongdoing.
According to a news release, CREW General Counsel Adam Rappaport states that the issue of deleted text messages and other records extends beyond the Secret Service and DHS. He emphasizes the growing number of federal agencies that have failed in preserving crucial information, leading to significant gaps in knowledge. Rappaport calls on the Department of Justice to promptly and comprehensively address this problem, including investigating the extent of the issue, holding those responsible for destroying important records accountable, and exploring the possibility of recovering the lost records.
The Law&Crime reached out to the DHS media representative for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
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