Colorado Politics

Army secretary to Crow: Domestic terror threats possible leading up to inauguration

There have been at least 25 opened domestic terrorism cases stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and the military is aware of further potential threats from “would-be terrorists.”

Those were among the revelations from Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy to U.S. Rep. Jason Crow on a Jan. 10 call regarding last week’s intrusion into the halls of Congress by violent supporters of President Donald Trump.

“Long guns, Molotov cocktails, explosive devices, and zipties were recovered, which suggests a greater disaster was narrowly averted,” Crow’s notes read. “Secretary McCarthy indicated that [the Department of Defense] is aware of further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day and is working with local and federal law enforcement to coordinate security preparations.”

Last week, Crow led a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office asking for an investigation into the coordinated law enforcement response to the siege. Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., disclosed that his state’s National Guard troops were ready to deploy, but the federal government did not grant permission for 90 minutes. McCarthy told Crow the delay “did not substantively impact the timeline for their arrival on location.”

“McCarthy represented that delays to the deployment of Maryland Guard assets were not due to political interference but rather due to the lack of a pre-planned requirement by the Pentagon as a result of deficient law enforcement threat reporting,” Crow’s notes reported.

The Department of the Army did not respond to a request to corroborate Crow’s version of the call.

Crow also described his concern to McCarthy that active duty and reserve military members were involved in the siege, which resulted directly in the deaths of five people. One of the victims was an Air Force veteran shot while trying to break in to the Speaker’s Lobby. The congressman requested there be a review of service members deployed to the presidential inauguration to ensure they are not “sympathetic to domestic terrorists.”

Afterward, Crow reported, he “appreciated Secretary McCarthy’s candor and outreach” and would “review the D.C. National Guard’s command authority to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of its constituents and integrated with local law enforcement like every other Guard unit in the nation.”

The violence at the Capitol occurred after Trump repeatedly tried to overturn the results of the election he lost, and he spoke to his supporters at a rally prior to the invasion. His lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also told the crowd“Let’s have trial by combat.”

Lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat, center, shelter in place in the House gallery as protesters storm the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik via Twitter)
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