A law enforcement official who has been briefed on investigations into the Capitol riot said that a member of Proud Boys, a far right group whose members were part of the Capitol riot, was in contact with a person who worked in the White House.

The official confirmed that location, cellular and call record pinpointed a call from a member of the Proud Boys to the White House before the January 6, Capitol riot. The official declined naming the persons between whom the call was traced. The FBI has not been able to determine the nature of their discussion.

FBI has been focusing strong efforts on finding links between far right extremist groups, Trump associates in the White House and conservative congresspersons who may have played a role in the riot.

The source who is aware of the matter also said that so far no links have been found between congresspersons and rioters when the attack on the Capitol was taking place. This undermines the allegations of some Democrats who alleged that some Republicans were active contributors to the riot.

The fact that members of far right groups were communicating with aides in the White House reiterated the influence that such extremist groups had on people who were in the White House and those who were close to the former president.

The communication between a member of the Proud Boys with a person associated with the White House was obtained through the data that the agency received from technology and telecommunications firms as soon as the riots were over.

Three officials familiar with the investigations have said that the FBI has obtained warrants for all calls associated with the cell towers that serve the Capitol. It also obtained a “geophone warrant.” This gives the FBI legal access to a list of mobile devices that are present in a geographic area. The FBI has obtained this information legally serving subpoenas or by using search warrants.

The Justice Department has charged over 300 persons with crimes related to their role in the January 6,     Capitol riot. It has launched a broad manhunt to bring the perpetrators of violence as well as conspiracy to book. It is looking at all the players that could be involved as it goes through reams of information gathered from different sources.

So far, one mid-level Trump aide Frederico G. Klein is facing criminal charges. On Friday, his lawyer did not comment when asked for one. Some far right extremists also face charges and the agency is continuing to investigate all aspects of the matters that lead up to the riot, what happened during the riots as well as what happened after the Capitol riot.

Image Credit Anthony Cride