<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ray Epps</a>, a mysterious J6 figure some theorized to be a federal informant, has been sentenced to a year of probation for his participation in the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, evading the six-month sentence suggested by prosecutors.
Epps, a 62-year-old former Oath Keepers member, was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and serve 100 hours of community service in addition to probation.
In September, the Arizona man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds as part of a deal with Justice Department prosecutors. The government <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-recommend-6-months-of-prison-for-ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended</a> the “high end of the applicable guidelines range” of six months of incarceration for Epps, as well as one year of supervised release and $500 in restitution.
It was argued that Epps should only be given probation by his legal team. “This 62-year-old man has displayed remorse, accepted responsibility, and taken-on the brand of a convicted criminal that shames and embarrasses him and his family and will stain him for the rest of his life,” lawyer Ed Ungvarsky said in a sentencing memo, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4397624-ray-epps-jan-6-conspiracy-theories-sentenced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Notably, Epps was a central figure in the Capitol breach from the early on. He&#8217;s seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump </a>supporters to “go into the Capitol” the next day.
“I’ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,” Epps says in one clip. The crowd of Trump supporters then starts chanting back at Epps, “Fed! Fed! Fed!”
Moreover, at least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action to “go into the Capitol,&#8221; and later texted his nephew that he “orchestrated” the riot. “I was in the front with a few others, I also orchestrated it,” one text <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Ray Epps, the only January 6 protester who actually told people to go into the Capitol, has been officially sentenced to one year probation, $500 restitution, and 100 hours community service.
While many J6 protesters are rotting in jail for non-violent crimes, Epps… <a href="https://t.co/qPWwktAPbu">pic.twitter.com/qPWwktAPbu</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1744763567088230572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Epps was initially on the FBI’s wanted list for January 6, but he was suddenly dropped, fueling conspiracies that he might be protected by the feds. It was much later, in September, when he struck a deal with the DOJ.
Daniel Chaitin and Mairead Elordi contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-recommend-6-months-of-prison-for-ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prosecutors Recommend 6 Months Of Prison For Ray Epps</a>

Pro-Trump Protests get Violent over Electoral College Certification

Ray Epps Sentenced, Evades Jail Time

Ray Epps Sentenced, Gets No Jail Time

Capitol Riot

Courts

January 6

Politics

Ray Epps

Federal prosecutors requested on Tuesday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ray-epps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ray Epps</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-sympathetic-profile-of-mysterious-january-6-figure-ray-epps-only-raises-more-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mysterious January 6 figure</a> some theorized to be a federal informant, be given half a year in prison for his participation in the U.S. Capitol breach in 2021.
A court filing in Washington, D.C., said the government recommends the &#8220;high end of the applicable guidelines range&#8221; of six months of incarceration, one year of supervised release, and $500 in restitution after the 62-year-old Epps <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-oath-keeper-ray-epps-charged-with-one-misdemeanor-in-connection-to-j6-capitol-breach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Epps is reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1742271889861415002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set to face sentencing</a> next Tuesday.
&#8220;Such a sentence protects the community, promotes respect for the law, and deters future crime by imposing restrictions on Epps’ liberty as a consequence of his behavior, while recognizing his acceptance of responsibility for his crime, his efforts to deescalate conflicts between rioters and police officers, and his cooperation with the FBI and Congress,&#8221; prosecutors said of their recommendation.
The <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24252231/eppsmemo.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">29-page filing</a> discussed how Epps, a former U.S. Marine and ex-Oath Keeper who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election, encouraged people to march to the U.S. Capitol and later joined the &#8220;mob&#8221; of rioters as they stormed their way through barricades onto restricted grounds in the West Plaza and participated in a &#8220;group push&#8221; of a metal-famed &#8220;Trump&#8221; sign against law enforcement officials trying to stop their advance. &#8220;Even if Epps did not physically touch law enforcement officers or go inside of the building, he undoubtedly engaged in collective aggressive conduct,&#8221; prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also credited Epps with least five efforts to &#8220;deescalate conflict and avoid violence between rioters and police officers,&#8221; speaking voluntarily with the FBI and Congress, and expressing &#8220;what appears to be sincere remorse&#8221; for his actions on January 6, the actions of others, and &#8220;the damage to democracy.&#8221; In addition, they cited the &#8220;widespread impact by the conspiracy theory that he was acting as a federal agent on January 6&#8221; — a claim the government rejected — that led to Epps to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/08/24/fox-news-ray-epps-tucker-carlson-defamation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">file a defamation lawsuit against Fox News</a>.
In December, which marked 35 months since the Capitol breach, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/33-months-jan-6-attack-capitol-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Department of Justice said</a> more than 1,237 defendants had been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia over the &#8220;attack&#8221; on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in which lawmakers were meeting to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory over former President Donald Trump. Hundreds of individuals have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials, including four Oath Keepers on a charge of seditious conspiracy. The group&#8217;s founder, Stewart Rhodes, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oath-keepers-leader-gets-longest-january-6-sentence-to-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">got 18 years behind bars</a>.
Trump, who is now seeking re-election in 2024 despite facing his own slew of criminal prosecutions — including some related to the 2020 election and the U.S. Capitol breach — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-brings-rigged-election-fight-to-cnn-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in May of last year</a> he would likely pardon a large portion of the January 6 defendants if given a second term.

Prosecutors Recommend 6 Months Of Prison For Ray Epps

Crime

Donald Trump

U.S.

Washington D.C.

Former Oath Keepers chapter leader Ray Epps, who was caught on video urging people to go into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, has been charged with disorderly or disruptive conduct in connection with the breach, according to the Associated Press.
Department of Justice authorities charged Epps with one misdemeanor count, disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds.
According to <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67807327/1/united-states-v-epps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court filings,</a> Epps &#8220;did knowingly, and with intent to impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions, engage in disorderly and disruptive conduct in and within such proximity to, a restricted building and grounds — that is, any posted, cordoned-off, and otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President was and would be temporarily visiting—when and so that such conduct did in fact impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions, and attempted and conspired to do so.&#8221;
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/ray-epps-subject-tucker-carlsons-jan-6-conspiracy-theories-charged-doj-rcna99836">reported</a> Epps could enter a plea deal to the charge.
Epps has long been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-the-ray-epps-questions-wont-go-away-despite-the-medias-best-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> by many of being an undercover federal agent who instigated some of the events of that day. He has vehemently denied the accusation.
The 62-year-old Marine veteran from Arizona is seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other Trump supporters to &#8220;go into the Capitol&#8221; the next day.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,&#8221; Epps says in one clip. At least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action to &#8220;go into the Capitol.&#8221;
Other videos reportedly show Epps with Proud Boys leader Zachary Rehl, who deployed a chemical spray at officers, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/19/january-6-ray-epps-trump-00116765" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.  In May, A jury in Washington, D.C., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-in-for-proud-boys-charged-with-january-6-seditious-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> Rehl of seditious conspiracy in relation to the Capitol breach and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/two-leaders-proud-boys-sentenced-prison-seditious-conspiracy-and-other-charges-related-us">sentenced</a> him to 15 years in prison.
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An attorney for Epps said in July that federal law enforcement officials had informed his client that they intended to charge him in connection with the events of January 6.
The revelation was made in a lawsuit that Epps filed against Fox News in July that accused the network and former host Tucker Carlson of defaming him.
Buried deep in the lawsuit, Epps&#8217; lawyer said that the DOJ recently informed Epps that it plans to prosecute him. Epps&#8217; lawyer blamed Carlson for the potential forthcoming charges.
&#8220;Finally, in May 2023, the Department of Justice notified Epps that it would seek to charge him criminally for events on January 6, 2021—two-and-a-half years later,&#8221; the lawsuit said. &#8220;The relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure likely resulted in the criminal charges.&#8221;
Fox reportedly denied liability and moved to dismiss the pending lawsuit in federal court in Delaware.
Epps <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ray-epps-capitol-riot-jan-6-fox-38748c79cd7b6916584a5db7ca87af7a">told</a> CBS in an interview earlier this year that he received numerous death threats that forced him to sell his home and relocate to the Rocky Mountains, where he and his wife were living in a recreational vehicle.
&#8220;I had to do the necessary things to keep my family safe,&#8221; Epps said.
Epps joins more than 1,100 people charged with Capitol breach-related federal crimes, of which over 650 have pleaded guilty, more than 600 were sentenced, and half received terms ranging from three days to 22 years.
Mairead Elordi and Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

Former Oath Keeper Ray Epps Charged With One Misdemeanor In Connection To J6 Capitol Breach

US Capitol

An attorney for Ray Epps, a man seen on video wearing a Trump hat during the January 6 riot, says that his client has been informed by federal law enforcement officials that they intend to charge him in connection with the events of that day.
The revelation was made in a lawsuit that Epps filed against Fox News on Wednesday that accused the network and former host Tucker Carlson of defaming him.
Epps has long been accused by many of being an undercover federal agent who instigated some of the events of that day. He has strongly denied being a federal agent.
Buried deep in the lawsuit, Epps lawyer says that the DOJ recently informed Epps that it plans to prosecute him. Epps&#8217; lawyer blamed Carlson for the potential forthcoming charges.
&#8220;Finally, in May 2023, the Department of Justice notified Epps that it would seek to charge him criminally for events on January 6, 2021—two-and-a-half years later,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ded.83032/gov.uscourts.ded.83032.1.1_1.pdf">said</a>. &#8220;The relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure likely resulted in the criminal charges.&#8221;
Epps was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congressman-challenges-fbi-director-on-whether-hell-arrest-ray-epps-you-are-protecting-this-guy">central figure</a> in the Capitol riot from the beginning.
The 62-year-old Marine veteran from Arizona is seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other Trump supporters to “go into the Capitol” the next day.
“I’ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,” Epps says in one clip. At least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action to “go into the Capitol.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray was grilled by lawmakers on Wednesday on a variety of issues, including Epps.
“I’m not going to engage here in a discussion about individual people who are or are not going to be prosecuted,” Wray <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congressman-challenges-fbi-director-on-whether-hell-arrest-ray-epps-you-are-protecting-this-guy">responded</a>.
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report.

Ray Epps To Be Criminally Charged For Events On January 6, His Attorney Says

Ray Epps, the alleged January 6 provocateur who has avoided arrest by the feds, was at the center of a fiery exchange Wednesday between a Republican congressman and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) grilled Wray during an oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, asking him point blank if the FBI would arrest Epps.
Nehls mentioned two other January 6 defendants, whom he said were arrested for breaching Capitol grounds, as well as a defendant who was arrested for &#8220;disorderly and destructive conduct&#8221; which included yelling &#8220;Go, go, go!&#8221; as rioters tried to enter the Capitol.
&#8220;These three never went into the Capitol. They never assaulted anyone,&#8221; Nehls said, adding that there is &#8220;very little difference&#8221; between the actions of Ray Epps and those defendants.
&#8220;Now look into the camera, sir, when you answer my next question,&#8221; Nehls said. &#8220;Are you going to arrest Mr. Epps, yes or no?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Nehls asks FBI Director Wray if he will arrest Ray Epps, and says:
&quot;If you don&#39;t arrest Mr. Epps, there&#39;s a reason behind it. I believe you know what it is, and it appears to me you are protecting this guy. I strongly recommend you get your house back in order.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NSPDLlKYKW">pic.twitter.com/NSPDLlKYKW</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1679215119300001792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m not going to engage here in a discussion about individual people who are or are not going to be prosecuted,&#8221; Wray responded.
&#8220;Can I get a commitment?&#8221; an exasperated Nehls asked. &#8220;I&#8217;m an old law dog. I understand a little bit about probable cause.&#8221;
&#8220;You can see him. I almost think he&#8217;s inciting a riot,&#8221; Nehls continued, noting that many people have questioned whether Epps has a connection to the feds.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of cloud over this,&#8221; the congressman said.
&#8220;My point is this,&#8221; Nehls said. &#8220;You arrested a lot of folks for unlawful activity. You just saw the video, and I will tell you, Mr. Wray, if you don&#8217;t arrest Mr. Epps, there&#8217;s a reason behind it, I believe you know what it is, and it appears to me you are protecting this guy. I strongly recommend you get your house back in order.&#8221;
Epps was a central figure in the Capitol riot from the beginning.
The 62-year-old Marine veteran from Arizona is seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> supporters to “go into the Capitol” the next day.
“I’ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,” Epps says in one clip.
The crowd of Trump supporters then starts chanting, “Fed! Fed! Fed!” at Epps.
At least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action to &#8220;go into the Capitol.&#8221;
Then, while the vast majority of MAGA supporters were still near the National Mall where Trump was speaking, Epps is seen at the front of the very first crowd that breached the security perimeter around the Capitol. Moments before the crowd pushes past Capitol police officers, Epps whispers something into fellow protester Ryan Samsel’s ear. Later in January, Epps and Samsel both told the FBI separately that Epps had been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/jan-6-ray-epps-evidence.html">encouraging</a> Samsel to relax because the cops were just “doing their job.”
Epps also texted his nephew that he “orchestrated” the riot.
“I was in the front with a few others, I also orchestrated it,” the text from Epps <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.
Epps was initially on the FBI’s wanted list for January 6, but he was suddenly dropped, fueling conspiracies that he might be protected by the feds. Thousands of others who behaved much less provocatively remained on the list, including at least <a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/boise-woman-sentenced-for-role-in-us-capitol-riot-pamela-hemphill-january-6-2021/277-3aa12194-5a54-4abe-88a2-d644cf5043aa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two</a> <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jun/23/anna-morgan-lloyd-indiana-grandmother-sentenced-ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grandmas</a> who were sentenced.
No charges were ever filed against Epps for his role in the riot.
Last month, 60 Minutes did a fawning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Epps. The New York Times did a glowing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/us/politics/jan-6-conspiracy-theory-ray-epps.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile</a> of him in July.

FBI Director Wray Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

Congressman Challenges FBI Director On Whether He’ll Arrest Ray Epps: ‘You Are Protecting This Guy’

Congressman Challenges FBI Director On Whether He'll Arrest Ray Epps: 'You Are Protecting This Guy'

Christopher Wray

Congress

Judiciary

U.S. House of Representatives

The legacy media has insisted for years now that questions about Ray Epps are just conspiracy theories.
Last month, 60 Minutes did a fawning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Epps. The New York Times did a glowing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/us/politics/jan-6-conspiracy-theory-ray-epps.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile</a> of him in July. Despite the media&#8217;s best efforts to present him as simply a victim of circumstance though, questions around the infamous January 6 provocateur remain unanswered.
Epps was a central figure in the Capitol riot from the beginning.
The 62-year-old Marine veteran from Arizona is seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> supporters to “go into the Capitol” the next day.
“In fact, tomorrow, I don’t even like to say it cause I’ll be arrested,” Epps <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1451272067173736455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tells</a> a man filming him with a phone camera.
“Well, let’s not say it,” the man responds.
“I’ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,” Epps says.
“I’m going to put it out there. I’m probably going to go to jail for this. Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol, into the Capitol!” Epps tells fellow protesters in another clip.
“What? No! No!” members of the crowd respond in unison.
“Peacefully!” Epps adds.
The crowd of Trump supporters then starts chanting, “Fed! Fed! Fed!” at Epps.
At least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the only Jan 6 participant Adam Kinzinger will defend! 
Still not arrested&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/v7nOggQUID">pic.twitter.com/v7nOggQUID</a>
&mdash; Darren J. Beattie 🌐 (@DarrenJBeattie) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenJBeattie/status/1534967914423537676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Epps also texted his nephew that he &#8220;orchestrated&#8221; the riot.
&#8220;I was in the front with a few others, I also orchestrated it,&#8221; the text from Epps <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHEEGxQKg20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>.
Epps was initially on the FBI&#8217;s wanted list for January 6, but he was suddenly dropped. Thousands of others who behaved much less provocatively remained on the list, including at least <a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/boise-woman-sentenced-for-role-in-us-capitol-riot-pamela-hemphill-january-6-2021/277-3aa12194-5a54-4abe-88a2-d644cf5043aa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two</a> <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jun/23/anna-morgan-lloyd-indiana-grandmother-sentenced-ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grandmas</a> who were sentenced.
The main question that has stuck to Epps is whether he was working undercover for the federal government, the FBI in particular.
In January, 2022, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked the FBI deputy director point blank if the FBI had worked with Epps during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
She refused to answer.
“Was Ray Epps a fed?” Cruz <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ted-cruz-grills-fbi-on-ray-epps-asks-if-fbi-had-informants-on-jan-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Jill Sanborn, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
“Sir, I can’t answer that question,” Sanborn replied.
Epps was interviewed by the January 6 select committee in November and again in January.
On January 11, the same day as Cruz’s questioning, the committee released a <a href="https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1481007562187280387" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> saying it is aware of “unsupported claims” that Epps was an FBI informant. The statement said Epps told them “he was not employed by, working with, or acting at the direction of any law enforcement agency.”
Recently in a wild new ripple to the situation, a woman who claims to be Epps&#8217; adopted daughter <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1650694044572438537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tiffanyjones316/status/1452467641969299460" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> him of sexually abusing her when she was a child. She <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1650956295208304641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1650684392874864640" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family pictures</a> and what she said are her adoption papers on social media.
60 Minutes said Epps &#8220;doesn&#8217;t understand how he got cast as the villain&#8221; and that his version of the story is &#8220;more mundane.&#8221; Even 60 Minutes, though, admitted Epps &#8220;almost immediately stepped into trouble&#8221; once he arrived in the nation&#8217;s capital.
&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to see our Capitol under attack,&#8221; Epps lamented to the interviewer as they watched the footage together.
Epps also lashed out at former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who brought national attention to the questions surrounding Epps, saying Carlson is &#8220;obsessed with me&#8221; and trying to &#8220;destroy my life.&#8221;
It doesn&#8217;t help the questions surrounding Epps that Carlson was fired from Fox News just before he planned to deliver a monologue on air that <a href="https://twitter.com/Chadwick_Moore/status/1660643619378741254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delved into</a> those questions.
The FBI told 60 Minutes that &#8220;Ray Epps has never been an FBI source or an FBI employee.&#8221;
For now, even that assurance will likely do little to put skeptics at ease.

Why The Ray Epps Questions Won’t Go Away Despite The Media’s Best Efforts

Why The Ray Epps Questions Won't Go Away Despite The Media's Best Efforts

Biden

Mainstream Media

Readers Pass

Tucker Carlson

Ray Epps, the man accused by many of being involved with federal law enforcement during the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, said over the weekend that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fox-news">Fox News</a> host Tucker Carlson was &#8220;obsessed&#8221; with him and trying to ruin his life.
Epps made the remarks in an interview that aired Sunday night on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;60 Minutes.&#8221;
&#8220;Brings back some bad memories,&#8221; Epps said when asked what he thinks when he looks at video of the riot. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to see our Capitol under attack.&#8221;
The show then highlighted how conservative media and Republican lawmakers have called into question Epps&#8217; role in the riot.
&#8220;He&#8217;s obsessed with me,&#8221; Epps said of Fox News host Tucker Carlson. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to any means possible to destroy my life and our lives.&#8221;
When asked why Carlson was focusing on him, Epps claimed that it was because Carlson was trying &#8220;to shift blame on somebody else.&#8221;
&#8220;If you look at it, Fox News, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, Gaetz, they&#8217;re all tellin&#8217; us before this thing that it was stolen,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So you tell me, who has more impact on people, them or me?&#8221;
During the interview, Epps claimed that his actions on January 6 were not directed by anyone from the federal government, including the FBI.
Epps addressed a text message that he sent to his nephew immediately after the riot in which he claimed that he &#8220;orchestrated it.&#8221;
&#8220;I was boasting to my nephew. I helped get people there. I was directing people to the Capitol that morning,&#8221; Epps <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ray-epps-jan-6-capitol-protest-60-minutes-transcript-2023-04-23/">said</a>. &#8220;I know exactly how it sounds. I&#8217;ve been scolded by my wife for using that word. I shouldn&#8217;t have used that word.&#8221;
WATCH:
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“He’s obsessed with me,” Ray Epps says of Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “He’s … [trying] to destroy my life.” 
Carlson has focused on Epps more than 20 times on his show, which Epps says is to shift blame from those who really instigated rioters on Jan. 6. <a href="https://t.co/pBRS6tMji3">pic.twitter.com/pBRS6tMji3</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1650280192932294656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-told-nephew-he-orchestrated-january-6">Ray Epps Told Nephew He ‘Orchestrated’ January 6</a>

Ray Epps: Tucker Carlson Is ‘Obsessed With Me,’ GOP Lawmakers Had Bigger ‘Impact’ On Riot Than Me

Media

Ray Epps, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-sympathetic-profile-of-mysterious-january-6-figure-ray-epps-only-raises-more-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mysterious January 6 figure</a> some theorized to be a federal informant, told his nephew that he &#8220;orchestrated&#8221; what transpired that day in 2021.
The bombastic assertion was revealed in <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/20220121_Ray%20Epps.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lightly redacted transcript released Thursday</a> by the House January 6 Committee. Claiming he made a poor choice of words to his nephew, Epps insisted to congressional investigators his actions had nothing to do with inciting the Capitol riot and, to the contrary, he was trying to stop the onset of violence. Epps, who is seen in video clips encouraging people to march into the Capitol, also flatly denied he was acting on behalf of any government agency while in Washington, D.C.
His nephew, 28-year-old Dalin, texted Epps on the morning of January 6, saying, &#8220;You and Jim be safe.&#8221; Jim is Epps&#8217; son, who was also in the nation&#8217;s capital. Hours later, at 2:12 p.m., as the violence at the Capitol was getting underway, Epps responded with a brag. &#8220;I was in the front with a few others. I also orchestrated it,&#8221; he said.
Investigators pressed Epps to explain his wording.
&#8220;I just meant that I got — you have to understand our relationship, uncle-nephew. We hunt together. We fun with each other [sic]. We do that kind of stuff,&#8221; he said. &#8220;What I meant by &#8216;orchestrate,&#8217; I helped get people there.&#8221;
Epps also said he &#8220;took credit for it, but I didn&#8217;t know what I was taking credit for,&#8221; and later claimed he used the wrong word. &#8220;I won&#8217;t know what the right word is, but &#8216;orchestrating&#8217; — my wife has told me over and over, you shouldn&#8217;t say things you don&#8217;t — you know, I shouldn&#8217;t have used that word,&#8221; he said.
As Epps would tell it, what he really was eager for was a &#8220;peaceful demonstration&#8221; about the election, and he lamented how a party-like gathering was &#8220;hijacked&#8221; by troublemakers.
Family is a common theme over the course of the interview with the House committee, which took place on January 21 of this year.
Epps, an Arizona man and former Oath Keeper, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., to spend time with his son. He said he was there at the behest of his wife who was concerned about their son&#8217;s safety amid reports of unrest in various cities.
Despite this motivation, Epps described multiple occasions in which he was separated from his son and his son&#8217;s friend. That includes when Epps left Trump&#8217;s rally on the Ellipse near the White House on January 6 — right when the former president <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/05/1069977469/a-timeline-of-how-the-jan-6-attack-unfolded-including-who-said-what-and-when" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started to speak around noon</a>.
Epps said he saw a group departing for the Capitol and decided to follow because he wanted to &#8220;be in the front.&#8221; Epps said he saw people carrying items such as &#8220;sticks or bars&#8221; and told them to put them down, warning, &#8220;You could get shot.&#8221; He also said he wasn&#8217;t walking with anybody in particular.
Epps claimed he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/revealed-ray-epps-claimed-he-believed-capitol-was-open-to-public-on-january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed the Capitol was open</a> to the public — on a day when lawmakers were meeting to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory — until he saw the barricades outside the building. Epps said he tried to de-escalate brewing clashes between other demonstrators and law enforcement, and after a while, he left to return to the hotel.
In another text message with his nephew, Epps said, &#8220;I think a few got sucked into the heat of the moment,&#8221; according to the transcript. Asked to explain what he meant, Epps cited &#8220;all kinds of stuff&#8221; from the preceding year, including the onset of COVID and businesses shutting down.
&#8220;I believe people went there for answers. People wanted to know what&#8217;s next. And I believe they were emotionally charged. A lot of people were emotionally charged and could have got sucked in,&#8221; Epps said. &#8220;So, when these guys tried to hijack it, I think some innocent people, people that meant well, probably were emotionally charged and did some things they normally wouldn&#8217;t do.&#8221;

v2 Elordi – What Role Did Ray Epps Play In January 6_ (1)

Ray Epps Told Nephew He ‘Orchestrated’ January 6

Ray Epps Told Nephew He 'Orchestrated' January 6

January 6 Committee

Ray Epps, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-sympathetic-profile-of-mysterious-january-6-figure-ray-epps-only-raises-more-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mysterious January 6 figure</a> some theorized to be a federal informant, told congressional investigators he believed the U.S. Capitol was open to the public on the day of the riot.
The assertion appears in a <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/20220121_Ray%20Epps.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-awaited transcript</a> released Thursday by the House January 6 Committee, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawyer-harmeet-dhillon-claims-victory-as-january-6-panel-drops-trump-subpoena" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report last week</a>. Epps, a self-proclaimed supporter of former President Donald Trump who raised concerns about the 2020 election, was asked about January 5, 2021, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikta_UQBT04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video footage showing him</a> urging a crowd to &#8220;go into the Capitol&#8221; the next day.
Epps said &#8220;yes&#8221; when asked if he was under the impression that the Capitol would be open on January 6, the day lawmakers met to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory. He again said &#8220;yes&#8221; when the word &#8220;open&#8221; in this case was described as &#8220;like, open to visitors, like anyone could walk in.&#8221;
Asked why he believed the Capitol would be open, Epps contended, &#8220;It was a weekday.&#8221; When Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) pressed Epps on how he perceived the negative reaction he received from the crowd in response to his call to enter the Capitol — people around him shouted &#8220;No!&#8221; and chanted &#8220;Fed! Fed! Fed!&#8221; — Epps contended, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I thought about it at the time.&#8221; Epps also stressed that he thought he followed up by telling the crowd to go into the Capitol &#8220;peacefully.&#8221;
Epps asserted his actions in those moments were geared toward trying to stop the onset of violence that night, but he conceded what he told the crowd, including that what he was saying might get him arrested, amounted to a poor choice of words. &#8220;It shouldn&#8217;t have been said, but I said it,&#8221; Epps testified.
Speculation about Epps, an Arizona man and former Oath Keeper, has been stoked by Republican lawmakers and high-profile conservatives including Fox News host Tucker Carlson. During the interview with the January 6 Committee, Epps said the &#8220;crazy&#8221; theories that swirled around him made life &#8220;really, really difficult.&#8221; He also flatly denied he was acting on behalf of any government agency while in Washington, D.C.
“The only time I’ve been involved with the government was when I was a Marine in the United States Marine Corps,&#8221; he said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tucker: The curious case of Ray Epps and the January 6 Committee" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ylYF6-sZkgM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Part of the fascination with Epps derived from how he appeared on the FBI&#8217;s Capitol Violence Most Wanted list before he was removed without explanation, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ray-epps-called-fbi-tip-line-two-days-after-capitol-riot-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per the Washington Examiner</a>. Kinzinger <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1481024970826338307" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted in January</a>, roughly 10 days before Epps&#8217; interview with the panel, that Epps &#8220;didn’t enter the Capitol on Jan 6, and was removed from the most wanted list because apparently he broke no laws.&#8221;
When asked about his client being removed from the list so quickly, Epps&#8217; attorney John Blischack clarified that he believed that Epps “was removed shortly after he contacted the FBI and/or the FBI contacted me.”
Recordings released earlier this year to defense lawyers representing people who were charged in connection to the Capitol riot included further details about Epps, including the revelation that two days after the Capitol riot, Epps called an FBI tip line after seeing himself on a list of January 6 suspects, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/jan-6-ray-epps-evidence.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New York Times</a>.
The report, citing sources who heard a recording of the call, said Epps explained to investigators what happened in another exchange captured on film, this one on January 6 just before the violence began at the U.S. Capitol, showing him whispering into the ear of another man at the barricades outside the building. Epps claimed he was trying to calm this person down and said that the police present were merely doing their jobs. The other man, identified as January 6 defendant Ryan Samsel, reportedly corroborated this account.
Ultimately Epps denied breaking the law. He testified to the January 6 Committee that he attended Trump&#8217;s rally at the Ellipse near the White House, where the former president <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fiT6c0MQ58" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encouraged people to march on the Capitol</a> to protest the 2020 election results, and then made his way to the Capitol along with others. There, Epps said he realized the Capitol was not open to the public and tried to de-escalate tension between the police and protesters when he witnessed the standoff.
“I just looked around, and I was sick. There was a lot of tear gas, a lot of bad stuff going on,” he testified.
Epps said he started to leave and offered aid to an individual having a medical emergency. Afterwards, Epps said, “I saw people crawling all over the Capitol, climbing the walls. It made me kind of ill to my stomach. I decided to go back to the — there was no point in going back. It had gone beyond to what I wanted it to be.&#8221;

U.S. Capitol

Revealed: Ray Epps Claimed He Believed Capitol Was Open To Public On January 6

A glowing profile of Ray Epps published last week by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-times">The New York Times</a> has done little to quell suspicions on the right that the self-professed onetime Trump supporter had a mystery role in the January 6 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot">Capitol riot</a>.
Epps, a 61-year-old Arizona man, is seen in multiple video clips from January 6 and the day before trying to whip up other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Trump</a> supporters to &#8220;go into the Capitol&#8221; the next day. Whether by virtue of his own size and air of authority or some unknown factor, Epps appears in many clips to be taking on a leadership role among Trump supporters who showed up to protest what they believed was a stolen 2020 presidential election.
&#8220;In fact, tomorrow, I don&#8217;t even like to say it cause I&#8217;ll be arrested,&#8221; Epps <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1451272067173736455">tells</a> a man filming him with a phone camera.
&#8220;Well, let&#8217;s not say it,&#8221; the man responds.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll say it. We need to go into the Capitol,&#8221; Epps says.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to put it out there. I&#8217;m probably going to go to jail for this. Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol, into the Capitol!&#8221; Epps tells fellow protesters in another clip.
&#8220;What? No! No!&#8221; members of the crowd respond in unison.
&#8220;Peacefully!&#8221; Epps adds.
The crowd of Trump supporters then starts chanting, &#8220;Fed! Fed! Fed!&#8221; at Epps.
&#8220;Okay folks, spread the word. As soon as the president is done speaking we go to the Capitol. The Capitol is this direction,&#8221; Epps tells a crowd in a clip from the next day, January 6.
&#8220;He&#8217;s done speaking! We are going to the Capitol where our problems are. It&#8217;s that direction. Please spread the word,&#8221; Epps shouts at passersby in another clip.
Over and over again, at least four times on video, Epps repeats his call to action.
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I just played this video for AG Merrick Garland. He refused to comment on how many agents or assets of the federal government were present in the crowd on Jan 5th and 6th and how many entered the Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/lvd9n4mMHK">pic.twitter.com/lvd9n4mMHK</a>
&mdash; Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1451272067173736455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Later, while the vast majority of MAGA supporters were still near the National Mall where Trump was speaking, Epps is seen at the front of the very first crowd that breached the security perimeter around the Capitol. Moments before the crowd pushes past Capitol police officers, Epps whispers something into fellow protester Ryan Samsel&#8217;s ear. Later in January, Epps and Samsel both told the FBI separately that Epps had been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/jan-6-ray-epps-evidence.html">encouraging</a> Samsel to relax because the cops were just &#8220;doing their job.&#8221;
No charges were ever filed against Epps for his role in the riot.
The unproven theory that Epps, a member of the right-wing group the Oath Keepers, was working with the federal government, perhaps persuaded by the FBI to turn informant for protection, was first floated on a 4chan message board last summer and was <a href="https://www.revolver.news/2021/10/meet-ray-epps-the-fed-protected-provocateur-who-appears-to-have-led-the-very-first-1-6-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol/">taken up</a> by Revolver News, the right-wing media outlet started by former Trump speechwriter Darren Beattie. Fox News host Tucker Carlson has since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylYF6-sZkgM">discussed</a> the Epps theory several times on his show. Even Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/reallizusa/status/1482551602661761025?s=21">mentioned</a> Epps at a rally, and the hashtag #WhoIsRayEpps trended on Twitter.
In the Times&#8217; profile of Epps, which <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1547249552486449153">referred</a> to Epps as a &#8220;victim,&#8221; criminal justice reporter Alan Feuer acknowledged that Epps was &#8220;not just a bystander&#8221; on January 6 but said that his role was &#8220;twisted&#8221; as the FBI asset theory gained momentum.
Revolver News used &#8220;selectively edited videos and unfounded leaps of logic&#8221; to try to show Epps was a government plant, the Times claimed. It&#8217;s not clear what &#8220;selectively edited&#8221; means in this case.
&#8220;Things became significantly worse&#8221; for Epps after Carlson and top Republicans began to &#8220;amplify the lies,&#8221; the Times article said, and meanwhile Trump, whom Epps had supported, &#8220;tarred his name and destroyed his reputation.&#8221; Epps has &#8220;suffered enormously,&#8221; and his &#8220;life has been ruined by a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory,&#8221; the Times lamented.
Notably, the Times said Epps was taped urging people to go &#8220;to the Capitol,&#8221; strange phrasing since Epps clearly states again and again that he wants protesters to go &#8220;into the Capitol&#8221; specifically.
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Nowhere in the Times article does Feuer appear to press Epps, who he says wore a look of &#8220;pained exhaustion&#8221; during the interview, on why exactly he wanted protesters to physically enter the Capitol building or why he happened to be at the front of the crowd when they penetrated the security perimeter.
The Times&#8217; treatment of Epps is gentle compared to its coverage of other January 6 participants, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/10/opinion/january-6-hearing-trump.html">dubbing</a> them in a June editorial, &#8220;flag-draped thugs storming the halls&#8221; and a &#8220;howling mob&#8221; that &#8220;rampaged through the Capitol&#8221; as part of a &#8220;coordinated assault.&#8221; In January, the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/us/politics/jan-6-terrorism-explainer.html">gave oxygen</a> to the idea that some of the events of January 6 could be considered domestic terrorism.
One of the most eyebrow-raising details of the Epps case is that Epps was mysteriously removed from the FBI&#8217;s <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence">wanted list</a> as federal investigators poured money and resources into tracking down hundreds of individuals who participated in the Capitol breach.
A former DOJ official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-atty-fbi-scrubbed-his-face-from-suspect-list-because-he-was-no-longer-unidentified">said</a> in January that Epps was removed from the list because he had already been identified, and the FBI was no longer looking for him. Epps himself reached out to the FBI two days after January 6 and &#8220;explained his position,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/18/ray-epps-jan-6-select-committee-527306">according to his lawyer</a>, John Blischak, who said Epps “was never in the Capitol building.” Less than a week after the riot, Epps tried to disavow the rioters&#8217; violent entry into the Capitol building, <a href="https://archive.ph/CuMA4">telling</a> The Arizona Republic, &#8220;The only thing that meant is we would go in the doors like everyone else. It was totally, totally wrong the way they went in.&#8221;
Two months later, Epps also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/us/politics/jan-6-conspiracy-theory-ray-epps.html">sat down</a> with FBI agents for a formal discussion. The FBI has so far declined to comment on Epps, even when pointedly pressed by GOP lawmakers.
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According to the legal definition of incitement, an individual&#8217;s words must carry an imminent risk of harm to persons or property. So far, the Biden administration&#8217;s Justice Department does not appear to think Epps&#8217; calls to enter the Capitol meet that standard, or break the <a href="https://code.dccouncil.us/us/dc/council/code/sections/10-503.16.html">laws</a> governing behavior on Capitol grounds, which bar disorderly or disruptive conduct.
Meanwhile, the DOJ has <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/leader-proud-boys-and-four-other-members-indicted-federal-court-seditious-conspiracy-and">charged</a> other January 6 rioters including five Proud Boys with seditious conspiracy for offenses that include behaving similarly to Epps, urging people to enter the Capitol.
A 69-year-old Idaho <a href="https://twitter.com/BreezeJenifa/status/1546900762436833282">grandma</a> who is <a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/sit-down-with-pam-hemphill-who-was-the-capitol-on-january-6/277-70b9504d-4eb6-4d6d-bf65-b3d334b506d9">reportedly</a> a breast cancer survivor was <a href="https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/boise-woman-sentenced-for-role-in-us-capitol-riot-pamela-hemphill-january-6-2021/277-3aa12194-5a54-4abe-88a2-d644cf5043aa">sentenced</a> to two months in prison for her <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/video-captures-person-of-interest-before-capitol-breach/65-86c5ac27-3cc8-45d2-8a7e-562ee1f289e0">role</a> in the riot, which included encouraging rioters to &#8220;just come in&#8221; to the Capitol, telling them, &#8220;This is your house.&#8221; An Indiana grandma, 49, was the <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jun/23/anna-morgan-lloyd-indiana-grandmother-sentenced-ca/">very first</a> person to be sentenced on charges related to January 6. She admitted she was inside the Capitol for 10 minutes but said she did not damage anything.
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Over the past year, Republican members of Congress have attempted to get answers on Epps, peppering federal law enforcement officials with questions about him during congressional hearings last year and this year.
&#8220;Can you tell us without talking about particular incidents or particular videos how many agents or assets of the federal government were present on January 6, whether they agitated to go into the Capitol, and if any of them did?&#8221; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) <a href="https://twitter.com/SKMorefield/status/1451290535981948935">asked</a> Attorney General Merrick Garland in October during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in October.
&#8220;So I&#8217;m not going to violate this norm of the rule of law. I&#8217;m not going to comment on an investigation that&#8217;s ongoing,&#8221; Garland responded.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) followed a similar line of questioning during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January.
&#8220;Who is Ray Epps?&#8221; Cruz <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ted-cruz-grills-fbi-on-ray-epps-asks-if-fbi-had-informants-on-jan-6">asked</a> Jill Sanborn, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
&#8220;I&#8217;m aware of the individual, sir. I don&#8217;t have the specific background of him,&#8221; she responded.
“Was Ray Epps a fed?” Cruz later asked.
“Sir, I can’t answer that question,” Sanborn replied.
Epps was interviewed by the January 6 select committee in November and again in January.
On January 11, the same day as Cruz&#8217;s questioning, the committee released a <a href="https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1481007562187280387">statement</a> saying it is aware of &#8220;unsupported claims&#8221; that Epps was an FBI informant and revealing that Epps informed them that &#8220;he was not employed by, working with, or acting at the direction of any law enforcement agency on Jan 5th or 6th or at any other time, &amp; that he has never been an informant for the FBI or any other law enforcement agency.&#8221;
Beattie is suspicious of the timing and substance of  the Times article.
&#8220;Ray Epps, the only person caught &#8230; repeatedly directing people into the Capitol is the only January 6 rioter the New York Times has written a puff piece for,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenJBeattie/status/1547396003690577921?s=20&amp;t=pv3MMziUv1f16vafRFMNPA">he tweeted last week</a>. &#8220;And this likely is the beginning of a monumental damage control campaign.&#8221;
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NY Times Sympathetic Profile Of Mysterious January 6 Figure Ray Epps Only Raises More Questions

New York Times

The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to release more information about Ray Epps, a man who has been <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-official-ted-cruz-agents-participated-jan-6-riot">accused</a> of being &#8220;a fed&#8221; during the January 6, 2021, riot that broke out at the U.S. Capitol.
&#8220;Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rochlin said in court on Tuesday that she intended to provide a &#8216;disclosure&#8217; about Epps, a former Oath Keeper, in response to requests by Jan. 6 defendants accused of leading the breach of police lines — including Ryan Samsel, who briefly huddled with Epps before charging the barricades,&#8221; Politico reported. &#8220;Epps, who was seen on video on Jan. 5, 2021, urging Trump supporters to go &#8216;into the Capitol&#8217; — adding that they should be &#8216;peaceful&#8217; — became the focus of conspiracy theories pushed by right-wing media outlets.&#8221;
&#8220;Epps, they noted, was not arrested despite being toward the front of the riotous crowd,&#8221; the report added. &#8220;And although his face initially appeared on a list of unidentified suspects, it was removed months after the breach. That led to unsupported claims that Epps was a government informant.&#8221;
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-official-ted-cruz-agents-participated-jan-6-riot">grilled</a> Jill Sanborn, executive assistant director for the FBI&#8217;s national security branch, about Epps during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing back in January titled, &#8220;The Domestic Terrorism Threat One Year After January 6.&#8221;
Sanborn repeatedly refused to answer Cruz&#8217;s questions about whether FBI agents or confidential informants participated during the January 6 riot.
&#8220;Miss Sanborn, was Ray Epps a fed?&#8221; Cruz asked.
&#8220;Sir, I cannot answer that question,&#8221; Sanborn replied.
Politico&#8217;s report says that &#8220;there’s no evidence that Epps has any government ties&#8221; and that spokesperson for the January 6 Committee claims that Epps testified that he had never been an informant for the FBI and that he was not working for any law enforcement agencies during the riot.
The report continued:
<blockquote>However, defense attorneys for others accused of crimes on Jan. 6 have demanded details of what Epps did that day and of his connection, if any, to law enforcement. At a court hearing on Tuesday, Rochlin, the prosecutor handling one of the Capitol riot conspiracy cases, said the government was preparing something aimed at satisfying those requests.</blockquote>
“What I can … tell the court is that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been working on a disclosure pertaining to Mr. Epps,” Rochlin said, saying that she expected it to take, “another week or two” for it to come out.
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-set-to-appear-before-pelosis-jan-6-committee">Ray Epps Set To Appear Before Pelosi’s Jan. 6 Committee</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-atty-fbi-scrubbed-his-face-from-suspect-list-because-he-was-no-longer-unidentified">Ray Epps’ Atty: FBI Scrubbed His Face From Suspect List Because He Was No Longer Unidentified</a></li>
</ul>
This report has been updated to include additional information.

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Biden Administration

Former Arizona Oath Keeper Ray Epps is set to appear before the January 6 select committee for a transcribed interview on Friday, according to recent reports.
Epps &#8220;intends to sit for a transcribed interview Friday with the select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol, his attorney said in a phone interview,&#8221; a Politico report <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/18/ray-epps-jan-6-select-committee-527306">confirmed</a>.
Video shows Epps encouraging Trump rally attendees to go into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Notably, the FBI scrubbed Epps from a January 6 suspect list.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-atty-fbi-scrubbed-his-face-from-suspect-list-because-he-was-no-longer-unidentified">The Daily Wire</a> on Thursday, Epps&#8217; attorney John Blischak said his client was scrubbed from the suspect list &#8220;partially because he was not an unidentified suspect any longer,&#8221; and:
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John Blischak told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/18/ray-epps-jan-6-select-committee-527306">Politico</a> that Epps contacted the FBI on January 8, 2021, and “explained his position” after a relative informed him news reports had featured him. “The list contains images and videos of rioters who were caught on camera in the crowd but who have not been identified or tracked by the bureau,” Politico added.
Blischak admitted he was unaware why Epps’ face was not scrubbed from the website for months.
</blockquote>
</div>
Republicans and select journalists have been publicly questioning to what extent the FBI was involved or aware of the breach.
Notably, journalist Glenn Greenwald posed four questions related to the FBI and the events on January 6.
“How many FBI informants or agents helped plan 1/6?” Greenwald asked via Twitter. “How many FBI informants or agents were present at 1/6? How many FBI informants or agents were implanted in the 3 key groups? Why don’t we know the answers?”
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-refuses-to-state-that-it-did-not-commit-crimes-during-jan-6-riot-encourage-violence">The Daily Wire</a> last week, video of Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz went viral when he pressed Jill Sanborn, the FBI’s executive assistant director of the National Security Branch, if the FBI committed any crimes during the breach. She refused to answer. Here’s the exchange:
<blockquote>CRUZ: I want to turn to the FBI. How many FBI agents or confidential informants actively participated in the events of January 6th? 
SANBORN: Sir, I’m sure you can appreciate that I can’t go into the specifics of sources and methods. 
CRUZ: Did any FBI agents or confidential informants actively participate in the events of January 6th? Yes or no?
SANBORN: Sir, I can’t. I can’t answer that. 
CRUZ: Did any FBI agents or confidential informants commit crimes of violence on January 6th? 
SANBORN: I can’t answer that, sir. 
CRUZ: Did any FBI agents or FBI informants actively encourage and incite crimes of violence on January 6th? 
SANBORN: Sir, I can’t answer that.</blockquote>
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/725-people-have-been-arrested-for-jan-6-capitol-breach-most-hit-for-entering-or-remaining-in-capitol">boasted</a> earlier this month that more than 725 people have been arrested in connection to the January 6 breach.
According to the press release, 640 defendants “have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds.” Some defendants are facing multiple charges.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ray-epps-atty-fbi-scrubbed-his-face-from-suspect-list-because-he-was-no-longer-unidentified">Ray Epps’ Atty: FBI Scrubbed His Face From Suspect List Because He Was No Longer Unidentified</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/journalist-glenn-greenwald-asks-four-questions-about-jan-6-and-the-fbi">Journalist Glenn Greenwald Asks Four Questions About Jan. 6 And The FBI</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-refuses-to-state-that-it-did-not-commit-crimes-during-jan-6-riot-encourage-violence">FBI Refuses To State That It Did Not Commit Crimes During Jan 6 Riot, Encourage Violence</a>

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