At least one person charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol has cut a deal with prosecutors to provide information that could help bring stronger charges against the pro-Trump group The Proud Boys.
The Justice Department is focused on building cases that will allow them to bring conspiracy charges against the leaders of extremist groups like The Proud Boys and The Oath Keepers. This news of a defendant agreeing to cooperate is the first sign that they’re getting help from some of the people who took part in the siege.
According to CNN, court records have suggested that plea deals have been in the works for several weeks. This is a similar pattern to how drug and organized crime cases are assembled, with prosecutors pressuring defendants with inside knowledge to testify against the higher-ups. Investigators have been slowly finding connections between the accused to help build their cases.
Roughly two dozen people associated with the Proud Boys have been charged with federal crimes related to the January 6 incident.
Also today, ten Democratic lawmakers joined a lawsuit filed against former president Trump and Rudy Giuliani, accusing them of conspiring with the Proud Boys and other groups to incite the Capitol riot. All the legislators in the suit were inside the gallery when the mob entered the building..