Investigations surrounding January 6—when a mob of pro-Trump extremists who fell for Trump's election lies launched a deadly failed insurrection against the U.S. Capitol—are still underway. Hundreds of rioters have been arrested and the House Select Committee on the riots continues to request documents and call officials in for questioning.
Though Republicans have repeatedly dismissed the severity of the riots, what's been practically unanimous among lawmakers is the response of the Capitol and D.C. Metro police officers who fought off rioters during the insurrection, saving the lives of multiple lawmakers.
But not every Capitol officer is getting rewarded—at least six are facing discipline.
Among those six was an officer reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by his friend of 40 years, according to McClatchy. The unnamed officer divulged to the friend the secure location where lawmakers took refuge as rioters infiltrated the Capitol.
The friend believed the officer was on the side of the rioters, writing to the FBI:
"I don't want to report a friend of forty years but [he] says enough concerning statements that I feel like I need to do this... he's just fallen into this cult and these beliefs."
Though the officer denied being ideologically aligned with the rioters, he told the FBI:
"I can't say one hundred percent that I didn't do what you're telling me I did."
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a favorite enemy of the right, faced widespread mockery earlier this year for describing her traumatic time during the riots, especially the moment a Capitol Police officer, who didn't announce himself, entered her nearby office as rioters were storming the main Capitol building.
She said in the weeks after the riots:
"Like so many other communities in this country, just that presence doesn't give you a clear signal if you're safe or not, so the situation did not feel OK. ... [the officer] was looking at me with a tremendous amount of anger and hostility. We couldn't read if this was a good situation or a bad situation."
Ocasio-Cortez pointed to this latest news for those who had criticized her account of the riots.
She wasn't the only one with a strong reaction to the news.
They also defended Ocasio-Cortez.
The news comes just days ahead of a rally in front of the Capitol supporting the insurrectionists.
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