It is disappointing to see law enforcement officers, in this case the FBI, politicizing their job to the point where they are arresting people who committed no crime on January 6, 2021. Meanwhile criminals and terrorists are being invited across our southern border, and violent crimes are skyrocketing in our cities. Not only that, violent looters and rioters from the summer of 2020 were never arrested or even investigated.
What the FBI is doing is not law enforcement. It is intimidation. It is an abuse of their power. It is evidence to the people that used to be the strongest supporters of law enforcement that their support is misplaced.
The media is filled with stories of people arrested for “crimes” committed on Jan. 6. They include who entered from the side of the Capitol where there wasn’t rioted, people who tried to usher out the trespassers, people who were invited into the Capitol, and even people who didn’t enter the Capitol.
While I have no problem, and even support, the arrest of anyone who was violent or destructive at the event, too many of the arrests make no sense in light of the Department of Justice’s refusal to prosecute people who rioted, assaulted people, and destroyed businesses in 2020.
And the numbers and zeal with which the FBI is going after American is more than sending a message. It is the persecution of people who disagree with the Biden Administration politically.
The Epoch Times recently reported that the number of arrests made in relation to Jan. 6 is nearing 1,400, and that it shows no signs of letting up. In fact, 122 arrests were made through April 5, 2024, compared to 70 over the same period in 2023 and 50 in 2022.
The Department of Justice reported that as of April 5, 2024, 1387 people have been arrested for crimes related to Jan. 6, and 69 percent of the guilty pleas has been for misdemeanor offenses.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the offenses. Note that some people were charged with more than one offense.
· 1300 charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; a misdemeanor crime.
· 122 charges involved a deadly or dangerous weapon.
· 353 charged with corruptly obstructing an official proceeding. The Epoch Times noted that this is a controversial charge and being challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court.
· 69 percent of the guilty pleas were for misdemeanors and 31 percent were for felonies.
Imagine if the energy expended to go after these offenders had actually been focused on violent rioters in 2020 or since then. It might have actually served as a warning to criminals that they wouldn’t get away with their crimes.
Instead, the message they received is that if you are a Democrat, you can do whatever you want.
The sad thing is that the very people that the FBI is letting get away with murder, are the ones that want to “Defund the Police.” So, the FBI is literally working to end its existence, and when they finally realize this and reach out to the public for support, it won’t be there. Why? Because the FBI has been prosecuting and imprisoning the people who would have once supported them.
The FBI no longer stands for “Federal Bureau of Investigations” or “Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.” It stands “For Biden’s Interests.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR..
Michael A. Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.
