John,
“No indication of civil disobedience”
That’s how the Secret Service described the Proud Boys ahead of January 6th—despite ample evidence of the opposite. In an internal memo first obtained by CREW, the Secret Service noted that the group’s previous gatherings concluded “without arrest,” a demonstrably false assessment of the organization’s history.
In reality, the Proud Boys have a long documented tradition of violence and extremism. In fact, the group’s gathering in D.C. just one month before January 6th led to 39 arrests, the vandalism of four churches, and the burning of a Black Lives Matter sign. The Secret Service downplayed the threat posed by the Proud Boys, a hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, despite that violent record—with disastrous results.
Read our new investigation—and then share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by forwarding this email.
Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony this week before the Select Committee shed new light on Trump and his inner circle’s actions ahead of and on January 6th. That’s essential to accountability—but if we want to avoid a repeat of January 6th, we also need to understand how law enforcement and the rest of the federal government failed to adequately assess and respond to threats of violence.
CREW’s investigative work, including legal actions and Freedom of Information Act requests, is key to learning the truth. We’ve uncovered new details about how early police were overwhelmed on January 6th, numerous opportunities where law enforcement agencies downplayed threats in the weeks leading up to January 6th, and exposed the Trump DOJ’s decision not to brief Congress ahead of the insurrection.
Americans deserve a full account of what happened on that day, and CREW will keep digging until we have one.
Thank you,
The CREW Team
