INDIANAPOLIS — Lawmakers are concerned about security lapses in the days leading up to and after the insurrection at the Capitol.
No intel briefing for Intelligence Committee
The protests of January 6 were planned, and for those paying close attention on social media, so was the violence.
But Rep. André Carson (D-IN), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee and is the chair of the Subcommittee on Counterrorism, Counterintellignece, and Counterproliferation, said he was not briefed about the potential storming of the U.S. Capitol.
“We were made aware that there would be demonstrations and there would be a lot of people there,” said Carson. “We receive threats often, unfortunately.
“The FBI has been involved with notifying me, our office, district director, chief of staff about these threats. We work with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Indianapolis Metropolitain Police Department and Capitol Police and others, but this was unusual considering that I’m the chair of the subcommittee that I had not received a briefing,” said Rep. Carson. “And so it’s something that we’re going to look into. We’ve already contacted the FBI.
“And we’re going to talk about ways these relationships can be strengthened."
The insurrection is not patriotism
With a background in law enforcement and counterintelligence, Carson said the events of Jan. 6 can only be defined in one way.
“Domestic terrorism. It was certainly an insurrection,” said Carson.
He said what he witnessed that day at the Capitol is not patriotism.
“I consider myself a patriot. I’m ever critical of my country because I want to see it improve. It doesn’t mean that I want to tear down or burn my country or kill people in the process,” he said.
Security failures pre-insurrection
Carson said there were security failures leading up to the attack.
“The touring office has been closed for many months now,” due to the pandemic, he said, and that “staffers traditionally conduct tours and members of Congress are also allowed to conduct tours.”
He alleges that staffers and representatives of Congress “used their membership privileges to conduct tours and turns out there were some who were using the tours to case the Capitol.”
13News is not aware of any publicly known evidence to substantiate these claims at this time. But more than 30 lawmakers signed a joint letter calling for an investigation into the tours.
“The sergeant in arms, who has immediate jurisdiction, that's who our appeal was to,” said Carson. “As well as Capitol Police, but certainly the FBI providing an objective investigation, as well."
Security failures post-insurrection
Carson said he’s also concerned about security failures in the aftermath of the insurrection. He said he learned about a potential threat against him through the media.
“For me to not have been briefed when the gentleman had my name on a list of good and bad people. And he had items in his vehicle, where he was going to use (them) to blow up the Capitol, that certainly concerns me,” said Carson.
Is it over after a peaceful transition of power?
Even if we are to carry on our tradition of a peaceful transfer of power on Inauguration Day, Carson said this is all far from over.
“It’s over in terms of Trump’s presidency. But it’s just the beginning for many who feel emboldened by finally having a president who supports their destructive and toxic ideology,” he said.
Carson said community stakeholders have a lot more work ahead of them when it comes to getting to the roots of why these ideologies are attractive to individuals.
“Because they, too, are human beings and they, too, are wrestling with their humanity as we all are, and what is the attraction to this ideology amid economic distress and a global pandemic,” said Carson.
13News interviewed Rep. Carson in a joint Zoom call with a staffer from his office.