FBI Director Christopher Wray is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as lawmakers continue to examine the intelligence failures in the run-up to the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Wray’s appearance before the panel marks his first since the riots, which left five dead, including a U.S. Capitol police officer. More than 300 people from at least 40 states have been charged by federal prosecutors in connection with the attack, during which hoards of rioters attempted to stop Congress from counting states’ electoral votes and reaffirming President Joe Biden’s victory.
How to watch FBI Director Chris Wray’s testimony today
- What: FBI Director Christopher Wray appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee
- Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
- Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Capitol Hill
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
Wray is expected to face questions from senators about the intelligence gathered by the FBI before the assault and how it was shared with U.S. Capitol Police. On the eve of the riots, the bureau’s field office in Norfolk, Virginia, issued a raw intelligence report warning of an anonymous social media thread threatening violence at the Capitol. But former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told senators last week the report never reached police leaders, though it was shared with the agency.
Security officials who oversee security at the U.S. Capitol have blamed the intelligence community for failing to adequately warn law enforcement about the scope and severity of the threat to the Capitol on January 6. But multiple intelligence reports warned armed white supremacists and extremist groups posed a violent threat to the joint session of Congress, as they viewed the constitutionally-mandated meeting as their last chance to reverse the outcome of the election.
While the FBI continues to track down and arrest those involved in the assault, the bureau has not yet apprehended suspects who planted pipe bombs near the Capitol the night before the attack or were involved in the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.
Senators are also likely to press Wray on how the FBI is addressing threats of violence from white supremacists and other right-wing extremist groups in the wake of the insurrection. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, has criticized the bureau and federal government for turning “a blind eye to this evil in our own backyard.” He and other Democrats on the panel requested from Wray last week information on the FBI’s response to the threat of domestic terrorism.
