High profiles far right figures Roger Stone and Alex Jones are under the radar of the FBI and the Justice Department for their alleged role in the Capitol riot on January 6.
Both these public figures have been vocal supporters of Trump as well as of white supremacist groups such as the Proud Boys, a far right group which has a history of violence or the Oath Keepers, a network of self-styled militia who offer security to rightwing figures or rallies. Some members of both these groups have already been charged for their role in the riots.
A U.S. official who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that they are investigating potential ties between those who were physically involved in the Capitol insurrection and the individuals who may have had a detrimental influence on them. Three individuals Roger Stone, Alex Jones and Ali Alexander were under investigation.
Roger Stone has been a Trump advisor from decades. He is infamous for spreading conspiracy theories. He has written a book which suggests that Lyndon B. Johnson played a role in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Alex Jones is a radio host and also has a web streaming site Infowars. He had to retract claims that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax after he had spread such false claims.
Ali Alexander is the organizer behind the Stop the Steal campaign and has said that he came up with the idea and helped to organize the January 6 rally, which was followed by mayhem, riots, violence and death.
All these three individuals have helped to amplify Trump’s rhetoric that the 2020 election was stolen during the weeks before the riot. Both Stone and Jones have blamed each other for inspiring the Stop the Steal pro-Trump rally, which was considered to be a precursor of the Capitol riot.
Although Stone and Jones have distanced themselves from the riot and prosecutors believe that they have little or nothing to charge them with, they would like to understand and explore how these individuals have domestically radicalized so many of the protesters on that ill-fated day.
