FBI Had About 275 Plainclothes Agents at Jan. 6

Newly disclosed FBI after-action material and senior congressional sources say the bureau had roughly 274–275 plainclothes agents at or around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That disclosure appears to conflict with a December 2024 DOJ Office of Inspector General report that found 'no evidence' of undercover FBI employees in the crowds, though observers note a possible distinction between 'undercover' and 'plainclothes' personnel. The after-action report documents agents' complaints that they were ill-equipped, lacked riot-control training, clear orders and identification, and some alleged political bias under prior leadership. The OIG separately reported 26 FBI confidential human sources were present that day, saying four entered the Capitol and asserting none were authorized to break the law or directed to instigate violence. Rep. Barry Loudermilk and House investigators say they will probe the scale and roles of agents and informants and whether information was shared with leadership or prosecutors or otherwise influenced events or prosecutions.