January 6th legal proceedings and investigations megathread

[jimrtex]

So an off-duty DEA agent carried his government issued gun to the riot.

An off-duty special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency carried his government-issued firearm while attending the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday. Prosecutors say he posed for pictures while flashing his DEA badge and climbed onto the Peace Monument to film himself as he delivered a "monologue."


Mark Ibrahim, of Orange County, California, was arrested Tuesday and charged with four crimes that include making a false statement and carrying a firearm on restricted grounds.

Court documents said Ibrahim entered restricted grounds outside the U.S. Capitol shortly after they'd been breached by the mob, and posted a photo standing next to one of the metal barricades that had recently been pulled apart. Prosecutors also said he sent photos of himself at the Capitol to a group chat on WhatsApp that included at least five other law enforcement officers.


One of the officers participating in the chat wrote, "Question Mark, you are carrying your duty weapon and your badge/creds? I need to know this mark."

Charging documents described Ibrahim as a "probational employee" of the DEA, a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice, and said he had given notice that he planned to resign weeks before the Capitol assault. The DEA did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.

I found this part of the CBS report intriguing.

He also allegedly told investigators that the FBI had asked his friend to document the events at the Capitol, and said he went with his friend to assist with that effort.

The friend, however, told the agent from the Inspector General's office that he had not been at the Capitol in any formal capacity for the FBI, and said Ibrahim crafted that story to "cover his ass." The friend also said Ibrahim had gone to the rally in order to promote himself: He wanted to launch a "Liberty Tavern" political podcast and cigar brand, and hoped the protests would be a launching stage, the friend said.

So I backed up through the article to see whether I had missed a mention of a friend in the article. None.

So why would the friend be asked if he were acting in any formal capacity for the FBI?

The CBS article goes on to note:

Ibrahim was also allegedly photographed carrying two flags: a so-called "Troutman Flag" that bears the words "Liberty or Death" and a so-called "Betsy Ross" flag, which some associate with the era of slavery.

Some associate links to a story about Colin Kapernik.

[jimrtex]

https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1418379937002700803

Somebody didn't follow the script that Carlson gave him.

In the full interview, Ibrahim says that his friend was an FBI informant, and that the FBI knew the friend was at the rally. It gets confusing because he talks of his brother who is an FBI agent and who was also at the rally and carrying his service weapon. The charging document uses the terms his friend and a relative.

During the Carlson interview, he mentions his brothers in Cuba, so perhaps he uses "brother" in a more figurative sense. He also says that he had gone up to a FBI SWAT team and offered to assist him. But the DOJ would not use "relative" in that sense, would they?

The charging document says he was participating in a WhatsApp Chat with other law enforcement officials, and one specifically asked if he were carrying his sidearm and DEA credentials.

One of the officers participating in the chat wrote, "Question Mark, you are carrying your duty weapon and your badge/creds? I need to know this mark."

Carlson asked Ibrahim if he saw other FBI infiltrators/provocateurs. He said he had not seen any. But since the FBI informant was a friend, he might not have been looking.

[jimrtex]

https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1418379937002700803

Somebody didn't follow the script that Carlson gave him.

In the full interview, Ibrahim says that his friend was an FBI informant, and that the FBI knew the friend was at the rally. It gets confusing because he talks of his brother who is an FBI agent and who was also at the rally and carrying his service weapon. The charging document uses the terms his friend and a relative.

During the Carlson interview, he mentions his brothers in Cuba, so perhaps he uses "brother" in a more figurative sense. He also says that he had gone up to a FBI SWAT team and offered to assist him. But the DOJ would not use "relative" in that sense, would they?

The charging document says he was participating in a WhatsApp Chat with other law enforcement officials, and one specifically asked if he were carrying his sidearm and DEA credentials.

One of the officers participating in the chat wrote, "Question Mark, you are carrying your duty weapon and your badge/creds? I need to know this mark."

Carlson asked Ibrahim if he saw other FBI infiltrators/provocateurs. He said he had not seen any. But since the FBI informant was a friend, he might not have been looking.

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