Milwaukee City Wire

On Monday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz. The letter addressed the Inspector General's delay in responding to previous inquiries regarding the government's use of confidential human sources and undercover agents on January 6, 2021.

On December 16, 2024, the senators initially requested information from IG Horowitz concerning the Department of Justice's use of confidential human sources on January 6. Specifically, they wanted details on whether DOJ components like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had tasked or untasked confidential human sources in the vicinity of the Capitol Building on January 6.

IG Horowitz replied on April 7, 2025, stating that "ATF, DEA, USMS, and BOP did not have any tasked CHSs in Washington, D.C. on January 6 in connection with the events of January 6." However, he was unable to confirm whether untasked confidential human sources from DOJ components, aside from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were present in the D.C. area in connection to the events.

The Inspector General's response also did not address whether DOJ components had employees or contractors in civilian attire around the Capitol on January 6. "We also reiterate other requests from our December 16, 2024, letter that are still outstanding," the senators noted.

"Your April 7, 2025, response confirmed that your office ‘did not request all of the text messages for all of the 26 CHSs and their handlers.’ Your April 7, 2025, response also noted that your office obtained classified communications; however, it failed to answer whether it obtained all classified communications," the letter added.

Further information is available on Fox News, where the full text of the letter can be found.