Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Tuesday grilled a top FBI official on whether bureau informants were at the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack — zeroing in on the role played by Ray Epps, a Marine veteran, video of the tense exchange showed.
Epps was seen in footage urging supporters of then-President Donald Trump to go into the Capitol.
Jill Sanborn, the FBI's executive assistant director for the national security branch, refused to answer key questions from Cruz, saying she couldn’t disclose "sources and methods."
Sanborn said she wasn’t aware of any FBI agents inciting violent or criminal conduct that day.
Cruz pointed to a video showing Epps encouraging people to enter the Capitol — and noted the crowd started chanting "fed, fed, fed" in apparent belief that he was an agent himself.
Cruz said Epps was initially put on a list from the FBI looking for information on the Capitol attack. He also said Epps was taken off the public posting later and has not been charged to date.
Sanborn said she was familiar with Epps but could not answer Cruz's question about whether he was an FBI agent. Sanborn also noted she did not have "the specific background on him."
According to Washington Examiner report, there were three people who allegedly participated in the Capitol attack who disappeared from the FBI's Capitol Violence Most Wanted list without an explanation.
Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida have both alleged FBI agents played a role in the violence that day, the Washington Examiner reported.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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