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Committee questions FBI use of confidential human sources at Jan. 6 and senior officials' use of Signal chats
Summary
Members cited inspector-general findings and testimony about confidential human sources present during Jan. 6; they also raised concerns about sensitive national-security discussions on commercial apps in Signal group chats.
Members of the House Judiciary subcommittee pressed witnesses about use of confidential human sources (CHSs) around Jan. 6, 2021, and about senior national-security officials using Signal group chats to discuss sensitive operational details.
Why it matters: Committee staff recounted inspector-general material describing 26 CHSs at the Capitol on Jan. 6, with 17 entering restricted areas, four entering the Capitol and two said to have been specifically tasked by the FBI to be present. Members argued those facts raised questions about how CHSs were used and whether payments or directions were appropriate.
Chairman and members asked witnesses whether such CHS activity would normally be remunerated and how the bureau accounts for confidential-source expenses. Stewart Whitson said that if an individual is an on-the-books CHS, it is likely they would receive payment and that lump payments can also be used. The chairman asked whether any of those individuals had been charged; witnesses said not to their knowledge.
Separately, members raised a recent news report that senior national-security officials had used Signal group chats to coordinate aspects of an impending military operation; Representative Jamie Raskin and Dr. Luke Hunt called use of unsecured commercial applications for sensitive operational planning a problem. Hunt said strict rules existed for handling classified or highly sensitive material and that treating powerful actors differently would deviate from rule-of-law protections.
Members requested additional inspector-general records, confidential-source files, and full Signal-chat logs or related packets as part of follow-up document demands. The committee made no formal finding at the hearing; members said they would pursue document production and written answers.
