Former FBI Director James B. Comey on Tuesday voiced certainty that federal law enforcement officials will find members of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol during last week’s deadly insurrection.
“This is what the FBI does best, which is to find the people responsible and bring them to justice quickly,” Mr. Comey said during an interview aired on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS.
“And so if you were there and you participated in the attack, there’s going to be a knock on your door,” Mr. Comey continued. “You should turn yourself in now.”
Mr. Comey, who led the FBI between 2013 and 2017, added that individuals wanted for committing violence at the Capitol are not the only people authorities will track down and treat accordingly.
“If you went up those stairs, not even into the building, you committed a crime. If you participated in assaults on police officers, if you went inside the building, any of that, you are going to be found,” Mr. Comey said.
“The bureau is a human organization with lots of flaws. One thing it does extremely well is relentlessly track down people like this,” he added.
Mobs stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as members of Congress were meeting to count the Electoral College votes formalizing the outcome of the recent election decisively lost by President Trump.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened cases on more than 170 people suspected of committing crimes at the Capitol, acting U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin said Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors may ultimately charge some of those suspects with crimes ranging from simple trespass and stealing mail to murder and sedition, Mr. Sherwin said during a press conference.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.