FBI says pipe bombs were planted night before the storming of the Capitol

The FBI revealed Friday that the pipe bombs found by investigators outside the headquarters for the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee had been planted the night before the storming of the U.S. Capitol building.

The bureau said that it “has developed new information regarding the pipe bombs” discovered in the nation’s capital, saying that the as-yet-unknown suspect carried a backpack and placed one explosive at the RNC and another at the DNC between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, describing him as wearing a mask, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and yellow, black, and gray-colored Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes. The FBI reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest had been raised from $50,000 to $75,000 and has now grown to $100,000 as the bureau tries to figure out who did it.

Videos of the suspect apparently showing him in the process of planting the bombs the night before the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol were obtained by the Washington Post and published on Friday, with security cameras showing the suspect, matching photos released by the FBI, both carrying and wearing his backpack and walking through Rumsey Court toward an area behind the RNC and Capitol Hill Club, where an anonymous source told the outlet he went to plant the bomb. The video also shows him walking back and forth past row homes in the immediate vicinity, and a law enforcement official told the outlet the same suspect planted the bombs at the DNC, though the FBI has not said which explosive was planted first.

The Justice Department said Tuesday that it had received an estimated 200,000 digital media tips from the public so far and that more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants have been issued. More charges tied to attacks on police are also likely to be handed down as investigators continue reviewing footage from police body cameras. Investigators have not yet determined who planted the pipe bombs, which law enforcement has said were operable explosives that responders had to disable.

“We are closely looking at evidence related to the sedition charges,” Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters on Tuesday. “I think the results will bear fruit very soon.”

The Democratic-led House voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, with the article of impeachment accusing him of inciting an insurrection in connection to the rioters breaching the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers counted electoral votes certifying President Biden’s victory, which he has denied doing. The final impeachment vote was 232-197, with 10 Republicans voting to impeach Trump. The Senate trial is set to be held in February.

Sherwin said investigators are scrutinizing any organized groups or militia members who traveled to Washington, D.C., and participated in the Capitol riot. This week, the Justice Department indicted a trio of leaders in the right-wing, militia-type group known as the Oath Keepers for “conspiracy” and other crimes in connection to the siege of Congress. The FBI special agent who wrote the criminal affidavits noted that members of the “paramilitary organization” were among those who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The federal prosecutor also said Tuesday that “specialized teams” were still investigating the deaths of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt. Sicknick died on Jan. 7 “due to injuries sustained while on-duty” after he was “injured while physically engaging with protesters,” according to Capitol Police. Babbitt, an Air Force veteran who was among those others who died during the Capitol siege, was fatally shot by an officer while trying to climb through a broken window as a crowd tried to break down a door in the Capitol.

“We can’t comment on those grand jury investigations … but we’re hopeful we’re going to be able to have results soon,” Sherwin said. He also highlighted how a specialized team is looking into attacks on the media.

Sherwin said 400 subject case files have been opened so far, which he expects to grow still, and there are more than 150 cases with federal charges, which he said “involve significant felonies.”

In addition, Sherwin disputed reports that the Justice Department was considering dropping cases due to the sheer volume of potential crimes involved.

Earlier this month, Sherwin said there was a “disconnect” within the Justice Department over whether Capitol rioters were trying to seize or kill lawmakers, with two other federal prosecutors initially telling courts that evidence suggested suspects intended hostage-taking or assassination. Sherwin said there is “no direct evidence” of “kill-capture teams.”

FBI Assistant Director Steven D’Antuono said Tuesday that investigators have identified more than 400 people involved in the siege of the Capitol. “We are identifying everyone we possibly can that entered the Capitol or breached the Capitol,” he said, estimating that there have been 135 arrests so far.