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January 26, 2021

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono’s Remarks on Press Call Regarding Violence at U.S. Capitol

FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono delivered the following remarks during a press call regarding the January 6, 2021, violent activity at the U.S. Capitol. Remarks prepared for delivery.

Good afternoon. I’m Steven D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide an update on our progress in the investigation of the January 6 breach and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Since the events of that day, the FBI has been working day and night to find answers to the questions the American people deserve to know, including how the attack happened, who was responsible for the siege, and what we are doing in this investigation now that we are almost three weeks into this case.

You’ve all seen the Wanted posters we’ve been plastering everywhere, from digital billboards on America’s highways to bus shelters in D.C. to your social media feed. But I wanted to tell you what you haven’t seen.

Behind the walls of every FBI field office throughout the country are scores of dedicated agents, analysts, and other specialized personnel, who are working with our law enforcement partners.

They are chasing down leads, reviewing evidence, and combing through digital media to identify, charge, and arrest anyone who was behind the siege we all saw on the sixth.

Now, one question being asked is: Who are we looking for? Not only are we focused on finding those who breached the Capitol, damaged the building, or stole government property but we are also looking to find those who violently assaulted the law enforcement officers who were trying to protect the Capitol and prevent the disruption of our democratic process.

As part of this investigation, we are also continuing to try to identify and arrest the person (or persons) responsible for placing pipe bombs outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican National Committees. Together with ATF, we are offering a $75,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

As you can imagine, this is an enormous endeavor. But let me assure you, we are up to the task. This case is challenging. It is complex and it is big—both in size and scope. But at the FBI, we do big, and we do challenging, and we do complex.

We’ve been here before. The FBI, and the Washington Field Office in particular, has led major complex investigations—including the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 9/11, the D.C. sniper case, and the Navy Yard shooting, to name just a few.

However, this case is unique in its magnitude and the number of subjects.

My pledge to anyone listening to this is that the FBI will carry out the investigative process with rigor and due diligence, following the facts and following the evidence wherever it takes us.

We are in lockstep with our partners at the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners here and around the country.

I want to stress that we have had—and continue to have—another enormously powerful partner in this case, and that is the American people.

Spurred by the public outrage and disgust at what occurred on January 6, we have seen an outpouring of tips and information from citizens around the country that has been nothing short of remarkable. We received more than 200,000 digital media tips from the public.

Some of you have recognized that this was such an egregious incident that you have turned in your own friends and family members.

We know that those decisions are often painful—but you picked up the phone because it was the right thing to do. We are grateful you made that choice. America is grateful you made that choice.

I want to thank you all—on behalf of the FBI and our law enforcement partners—for your help.

With your assistance, we have identified more than 400 suspects in the breach of the Capitol and assault on law enforcement officers. Of those, the FBI has arrested approximately 135 to date, with many more being identified and charged every day.

We continue to seek the public’s help in identifying additional perpetrators of these heinous acts. You can see photos of additional suspects and help us find them by viewing our Seeking Information posters at fbi.gov.

If you have tips—no matter how small—please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

What happened at the Capitol on January 6 has not occurred in over 200 years. We owe it to the American people to find out how and why it did. We are committed to seeing this through—no matter how many people it takes, how many days it takes us, or the resources we’ll need to get it done. We will get to the bottom of this. The American people, and this country, deserve no less.