As we learn more about what happened inside the U.S. Capitol Building after it fell under siege on January 6, it would appear that a number of protesters involved in the insurrection will soon need to lawyer up, for a number of reasons.
Aside from the actual breaking into and destroying the historic building, according to the New York Post, several of the rioters also decided it would be a good idea to steal high-value items, like laptops and iPads.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was ransacked by the pro-Trump rioters and in the wake of the madness, someone swiped one of the laptops out of her office, with a similar theft occurring in the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley.
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DC’s acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin added that quite a few items were swiped that day by the angry crowd.
“This is probably going to take several days to flesh out exactly what happened, what was stolen, what wasn’t,” he said. “[But] electronic items were stolen from senators’ offices. Documents, materials were stolen, and we have to identify what was done [and] mitigate that,” Sherwin said.
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As Reuters reported, Pelosi’s aide, Drew Hammill, said that the laptop stolen from her office was actually assigned to a conference room and was apparently used for presentations.
“The demonstrators who broke into the Capitol posted several photographs of themselves using congressional phones and various other devices. One reporter with the right-wing outlet Blaze posted a photograph of what purported to be a computer from Pelosi’s office with emails ‘still on the screen,'” the report stated.
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Multiple cameras also recorded footage of the rioters destroying property inside of the building, like signage and other items they could easily tear down and haul out as a souvenir. Those actions will also reportedly be investigated.
Laptop from Nancy Pelosi’s office among items stolen in DC riot https://t.co/QRFJgSVCrL pic.twitter.com/WxkXICSiyd
— New York Post (@nypost) January 8, 2021
Many of the people who took part in the Capitol Building raid were captured clearly enough in photographs and camera footage that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are already working to track them down. A number of charges have been filed against many of the bad actors so far.
Those who stole items or assaulted Capitol Police officers will most certainly be made an example when their time comes in the court of law, as it will send a message of deterrence for those planning any future attempts at attempting to interrupt American democracy.
