The FBI has revoked the security clearances of three of its agents for matters related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the agency told lawmakers in a letter Wednesday.
The actions of the agents reportedly drew into question their “allegiance to the United States,” according to the letter obtained by the New York Times that was submitted a day before two of the agents were set to testify in front of the House Judiciary subcommittee investigating the “weaponization” of the federal government.
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The agents, Marcus Allen, Stephen Friend, and Brett Gloss, have also been suspended pending review of their cases, according to the New York Times.
Gloss, whose security clearance was revoked two weeks ago, was allegedly in a restricted area of the Capitol grounds on the day of the attack, which is a federal offense. He also reportedly lied about being in a restricted area and gave “false or misleading information” on what he saw the day of the riot. He also failed to admit he was near the Capitol on Jan. 6 despite being warned to do so.
“Mr. Gloss’s refusal to provide full, frank and truthful answers to lawful questions of security officials in connection with a personnel security or trustworthiness determination should result in an adverse clearance action,” the letter said.
The letter also noted that Gloss denied witnessing any violence and denied being in a restricted area. But photos and video of the riot paint a different picture.
Allen had his top-secret security clearance revoked after he “expressed sympathy for persons or organizations that advocate, threaten or use force or violence,” according to the letter. Allen allegedly sent emails from his work account to warn colleagues to be careful with investigative inquiries or leads related to the riot.
Allen also failed to provide relevant information to other agents investigating the riot about people who allegedly took part in the attack. When Allen was asked to conduct open-source research about a suspected Jan. 6 protester, he came back claiming the suspect had not been involved in criminal activity. But the case was reopened when a different agent saw that the man allegedly assaulted police at the Capitol.
Friend, who was the most recent person to have his clearance revoked on Tuesday, refused to take part in a SWAT raid at the home of a protester last summer, arguing it was an excessive use of force.
“I have an oath to uphold the Constitution,” Friend said on the day of the raid. “I have a moral objection and want to be considered a conscientious objector.”
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The raid was at the home of a suspected protester who allegedly posted a video of himself outside the Capitol in body armor and a gas mask carrying an AR-style rifle. But Friend “espoused an alternative narrative about the events at the U.S. Capitol” during his communications with his bosses about refusing to participate in the raid, according to the letter.
Friend also downloaded documents from an FBI computer system to a removable flash drive last September, but it is unclear what the documents were, according to the New York Times.
