Sedition Hunters

Last updated

Sedition Hunters is an online community of open-source intelligence investigators working to identify individuals who took part in the January 6, 2021, United States Capitol attack. [1] [2] [3] They examine still photos and video footage from publicly available sources, social media sites like Twitter and Parler, video platforms, and other social media and submit that research to the FBI in the form of a tip. [4] [5]

The Sedition Hunters community has created and deployed a number of advanced tools to help study the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Among the earliest was an interactive map, [6] [7] showing videos recorded of the event that had embedded GPS location tags. Later, the community created a public facial recognition database [8] to quickly find suspects in terabytes of footage.

The FBI has relied on groups like the Sedition Hunters due to the large number of suspects, estimated at 2,000. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

Jay James Johnston is an American actor and comedian. He was a writer and cast member on Mr. Show with Bob and David and had roles on The Sarah Silverman Program, Arrested Development, and Bob's Burgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parler</span> American alt-tech social networking service

Parler is an American alt-tech social networking service associated with conservatives. Launched in August 2018, Parler marketed itself as a free speech-focused and unbiased alternative to mainstream social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Journalists described Parler as an alt-tech alternative to Twitter, with its users including those banned from mainstream social networks or who oppose their moderation policies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath Keepers</span> American far-right organization since 2009

Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the government of the United States, including the transfer of presidential power as prescribed by the United States constitution. It was incorporated in 2009 by founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes, a lawyer and former paratrooper. In 2023, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and another Oath Keepers leader, Kelly Meggs, was sentenced to 12 years for the same crime. Three other members have pleaded guilty to this crime, and four other members have been convicted of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Biggs</span> American felon and former Proud Boys organizer (born 1980s)

Joseph Randall Biggs is an American veteran, media personality, organizer of the Proud Boys, and convicted felon for his participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 6 United States Capitol attack</span> 2021 attempt to prevent presidential electoral vote count

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of then–U.S. President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup d'état two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep Trump in power by occupying the Capitol and preventing a joint session of Congress counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results. According to the bipartisan House select committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election. Within 36 hours, five people died: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes, including a police officer. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack killed themselves within seven months. Damage caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Ashli Babbitt</span> 2021 shooting in the U.S. Capitol Building

On January 6, 2021, Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot during the attack on the United States Capitol. She was part of a crowd of supporters of then U.S. president Donald Trump who breached the United States Capitol building seeking to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Earle Sullivan</span> American political activist and photojournalist

John Earle Sullivan, also known as Activist John, is an American political activist and self-identified photojournalist who participated in the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack. In November 2023, he was convicted by a jury of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and five misdemeanors.

The following article is a broad timeline of the course of events surrounding the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by rioters supporting United States President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Pro-Trump rioters stormed the United States Capitol after assembling on the Ellipse of the Capitol complex for a rally headlined as the "Save America March".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic reactions to the January 6 United States Capitol attack</span>

In the aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, after drawing widespread condemnation from the U.S. Congress, members of his administration, and the media, 45th U.S. President Donald Trump released a video-taped statement on January 7 to stop the resignations of his staff and the threats of impeachment or removal from office. In the statement, he condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol, saying that "a new administration will be inaugurated", which was widely seen as a concession, and his "focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power" to the Joe Biden administration. Vanity Fair reported that Trump was at least partially convinced to make the statement by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who told Trump a sufficient number of Senate Republicans would support removing him from office unless he conceded. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, had attempted to distance the administration from the rioters' behavior in a televised statement earlier in the day. On January 9, The New York Times reported that Trump had told White House aides he regretted committing to an orderly transition of power and would never resign from office. In a March 25 interview on Fox News, Trump defended the Capitol attackers, saying they were patriots who posed "zero threat", and he criticized law enforcement for "persecuting" the rioters.

The January 6 United States Capitol attack was followed by political, legal, and social repercussions. The second impeachment of Donald Trump, who was charged for incitement of insurrection for his conduct, occurred on January 13. At the same time, Cabinet officials were pressured to invoke the 25th Amendment for removing Trump from office. Trump was subsequently acquitted in the Senate trial, which was held in February after Trump had already left office. The result was a 57–43 vote in favor of conviction, with every Democrat and seven Republicans voting to convict, but two-thirds of the Senate are required to convict. Many in the Trump administration resigned. Several large companies announced they were halting all political donations, and others have suspended funding the lawmakers who had objected to certifying Electoral College results. A bill was introduced to form an independent commission, similar to the 9/11 Commission, to investigate the events surrounding the attack; it passed the House but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate. The House then approved a House "select committee" to investigate the attack. In June, the Senate released the results of its own investigation of the attack. The event led to strong criticism of law enforcement agencies. Leading figures within the United States Capitol Police resigned. A large-scale criminal investigation was undertaken, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opening more than 1,200 case files. Federal law enforcement undertook a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators, with arrests and indictments following within days. Over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Nordean</span> American neo-fascist

Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, is an American far-right political activist, convicted felon and a leader of the Proud Boys, an all-male neo-fascist organization that engages in political violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Pezzola</span> American

Dominic Pezzola is an American convicted felon and member of the Proud Boys who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, a violent attack at the U.S. Capitol. He is best known for stealing a police riot shield and using it to break a Capitol window on January 6, 2021, making him the first rioter to breach the building. Indicted in 2021, on federal charges, he was tried in 2023 alongside Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and his key lieutenants, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl. In May 2023, following a five-month jury trial, Pezzola was convicted of obstructing a congressional proceeding, assaulting a police officer, and other crimes. He was acquitted of seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge. The jury deadlocked on other charges against Pezzola, including conspiring to obstruct the counting of the electoral votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack</span> List of people charged with crimes

On January 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes to formalize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 United States Presidential Election. By the end of the month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had opened more than 400 case files and issued more than 500 subpoenas and search warrants related to the riot. The FBI also created a website to solicit tips from the public specifically related to the riot and were especially assisted by the crowdsourced sleuthing group Sedition Hunters. By the end of 2021, 725 people had been charged with federal crimes. That number rose to 1,000 by the second anniversary of the attack, and to 1,200 by the third anniversary, at which point over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes. These federal cases are handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (D.C.). State cases, of which there are fewer, are handled in the D.C. Superior Court.

Law enforcement mounted a response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, initially failing to maintain security perimeters and protect parts of the building from being breached and occupied, but succeeding at protecting members of Congress, and subsequently, as reinforcements arrived, to secure the breached Capitol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice for J6 rally</span> 2021 protest in Washington, D.C., U.S.

The Justice for J6 rally was a right-wing demonstration in Washington, D.C., in support of hundreds of people who were arrested and charged following the January 6 United States Capitol attack. It occurred on September 18, 2021. The event attracted 100–200 activists. It was organized by a former Trump campaign staffer. The event was noted for extensive security preparations and concerns over possible unrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Meggs</span> American insurrectionist (born 1969)

Kelly Meggs is an American convicted felon who previously led the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter. He was found guilty of seditious conspiracy following his forced entry into the United States Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

James Ray Epps is a former United States Marine and Oath Keepers chapter president who was one of the rioters at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Ryan Stephen Samsel is an American convicted criminal who participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. He was charged with several crimes, including forcibly assaulting federal officers; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; carrying out an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds; and obstruction of an official proceeding—the United States Congress’s efforts to certify the election results. Samsel has been in custody since his arrest; his bench trial began in October 2023. In February 2024, he was found guilty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Powell</span> American convicted felon (born 1980)

Rachel Marie Powell, also known as "Pink Hat Lady" and "Bullhorn Lady", is an American convicted felon known for her participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, in which she wore a pink hat and used a bullhorn to instruct other rioters.

References

  1. ↑ Morrison, Sara (January 6, 2022). "To catch an insurrectionist". Vox. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Online community of so-called 'Sedition Hunters' work to identify the January 6 rioters". CBS News. January 6, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  3. ↑ Hutton, Alice (June 7, 2021). "Online 'sedition hunters' search for remaining US Capitol rioters, new report claims". The Independent. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  4. ↑ Martínez, A; Yousef, Odette (January 5, 2022). "Amateur sleuths help to identify hundreds of suspected Jan. 6 rioters". Morning Edition . NPR. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  5. ↑ Reilly, Ryan J. (2023). Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System. PublicAffairs (published October 17, 2023). ISBN   978-1541701809.
  6. ↑ Campbell, Ian Carlos (January 15, 2021). "A Parler archive is being converted into an interactive map of the Capitol building attack". The Verge. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  7. ↑ Koebler, Jason; Makuch, Ben (January 13, 2021). "Developer Makes Interactive Map of Parler Videos From Capitol Hill Riots". Vice. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  8. ↑ Rogalski, Jeremy (February 7, 2021). "Interactive map tracks videos recorded during Capitol riot". KHOU . Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ Mak, Tim (August 18, 2021). "The FBI Keeps Using Clues From Volunteer Sleuths To Find The Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters". All Things Considered . NPR. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Feuer, Alan (January 5, 2022). "Prosecutors Move Quickly on Jan. 6 Cases, but One Big Question Remains". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  11. ↑ Richer, Alanna Durkin; Kunzelman, Michael (July 6, 2021). "Hunt for Capitol attackers still on 6 months after Jan. 6". The Detroit News. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  12. ↑ Reilly, Ryan J. (January 5, 2022). "The FBI's Secret Weapon In The Capitol Attack Manhunt". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.