Feds Considering Sedition, Conspiracy Charges for 170 Capitol Riot Suspects

U.S. prosecutors are ramping up the investigation into last week’s riot at the Capitol, with more than 170 suspects under scrutiny and law enforcement officials planning charges of sedition and conspiracy.

The riot is being treated “like an international counter-terrorism investigation,” Acting U.S. Attorney in Washington Michael Sherwin said. “We’re looking at everything -- money, travel records. No resource will be unchecked.”

The Justice Department has established a task force of senior national security officials to pursue the sedition and conspiracy cases, Sherwin said at a press conference on Tuesday. Other U.S. prosecutors are focused on charging rioters who assaulted police officers and members of the media. The most serious potential charges carry prison sentences as long as 20 years.

The probe is led by an assortment of agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Capitol Police, the U.S. Marshals, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington. All 56 FBI field offices are involved.

So far, U.S. prosecutors have charged more than 70 people, with crimes ranging from trespassing to assault. But more serious charges -- and many more cases -- are coming, Sherwin told reporters.

The number of cases is “going to geometrically increase,” Sherwin said. “The Capitol grounds outside and inside are essentially a crime scene, and we have literally thousands of potential witnesses.”

Some Justice Department investigators are focusing on the pipe bombs found near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on the day of the siege, Sherwin said. Law enforcement officials are investigating whether the bombs were a “diversionary tactic” by the rioters, he said.

Also at the press conference, Steven D’Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI‘s Washington field office, defended the agency’s preparation for the riot, following reports that it was warned of possible violence in the days leading up to the siege.

FBI agents in Norfolk, Virginia, issued an internal warning the day before the riot that extremists were preparing for violence and “war” at the Capitol, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. The FBI report said that people shared a map of the Capitol’s tunnels, and potential conspirators discussed meeting in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina before going to Washington, the Post reported.

On Tuesday, D’Antuono said the FBI acted on early warnings and stopped certain individuals from traveling to D.C. for the rally. And since last week, the bureau has embarked on a sweeping investigation: After asking the public for information, the FBI received more than 100,000 pieces of digital media, D’Antuono said.

“We are scouring every one for investigative and intelligence leads,” he said.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube