Justice Department watchdog opens probe into department’s response to Capitol riot

The Justice Department Inspector General announced Friday it will open a probe into the department’s response to the deadly insurrection at the U.S.Capitol.

The review will look at whether the Justice Department and other federal law enforcement agencies shared information with the U.S. Capitol Police and other state and local agencies, the inspector general said in a statement.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s team will also examine whether there were any weaknesses in department protocols and policies that hampered law enforcement’s ability to respond to the Jan. 6 riot. So far, three other inspectors general have opened probes into the Capitol riots, which resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer. The inspectors general at the departments of Homeland Security, Defense and the Interior have all launched their own probe.

The Justice Department inspector general review signals concerns that federal law enforcement did not do enough to warn others about the potential for violence.

A day before the deadly riot, the FBI’s field office in Norfolk issued a bulletin to federal and local law enforcement about an internet posting threatening a “war” at the Capitol. 

Steven D’Antuono, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, said the information was shared with other agencies within 40 minutes. He also said the threat was posted on an anonymous chat room and the it was not attributable to a specific person or group.