US: In wake of Capitol riot, active-duty Army officer under investigation

An active-duty Army Special Forces officer is under investigation for her presence at the Capitol during the riot there on Jan. 6, according to an Army spokesman.

© SAUL LOEB, AFP via Getty Images Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., says authorities must bring "the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and conspiracy theorists who formed this mob to justice.”

The Army is investigating Capt. Emily Rainey’s presence at the Capitol and what she did there, said Maj. Dan Lessard, spokesperson for 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is unclear if she violated any laws, he said.

Rioters stormed the Capitol and interrupted Congress’ formal count of the state-certified Electoral College victory of President-elect Joe Biden in a melee that left five people dead.

Fact check: Social media falsely claims Vice President Mike Pence was arrested

After rioters breached the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, social media posts claimed Vice President Mike Pence had been arrested. That is false.Vice President Mike Pence was also at the Capitol to preside over the proceedings. Shortly after rioters breached the Capitol, Phil Godlewski took to Facebook to claim that Pence had been arrested.

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Rainey is an active duty psychological operations officer assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). Her request to retire was approved in November, and she is to leave the Army in April, Lessard said.

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On Monday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, asked acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller to allow military criminal investigators to join civilian law enforcement authorities in determining if troops or veterans took part in the insurrection. The Pentagon acknowledged receiving Duckworth’s letter.

Duckworth, D-Ill.,  a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked  by letter that military criminal investigators determine whether service members or veterans “engaged in insurrection or participated in a seditious conspiracy.”

Actions by 'all actors,' including Trump, may be under scrutiny following violence at the Capitol, prosecutor says

"We're looking at all actors," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said when asked about the role Trump played.Actions by President Donald Trump, who had encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol as he continued to falsely claim that the election had been stolen from him, may not be exempted from scrutiny.

INVESTIGATION: Identities of who's been charged in the Capitol riot

“Our Nation must demonstrate resolve and resilience in bringing the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and conspiracy theorists who formed this mob to justice,” Duckworth wrote. “This includes addressing deeply troubling reports that members of the U.S. Armed Forces” and veterans took part in the mayhem that resulted in five deaths.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., also asked Pentagon officials to determine whether current or former members of the military were involved in the attack.

Rioting at the Capitol, Duckworth wrote, would violate the pledge troops take to defend the Constitution and be a “disgraceful insult” to the majority of troops who serve honorably.

“Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security,” wrote Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran.

Fact check: Viral images compare handling of Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot

Posts on social media use images to compare law enforcement's treatment of Black Lives Matter protests with the Capitol breach.As the events unfolded, many on social media shared images purporting to show the stark divide between law enforcement's handling of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests compared to the Trump supporters who violently stormed the Capitol.

Crow, a former Army Ranger, said he spoke with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy on Sunday and was told that "at least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened as a result of the assault on the Capitol."

A Defense Department official said some troops – active and reserve duty – may have been involved in the riot, and the military will investigate them as necessary.

"There is concern that military members may have been involved in the riot," the official said.

The Pentagon was asked to review all members of the security detail for Biden's inauguration Jan. 20 to ensure they are "not sympathetic to domestic terrorists," Crow said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In wake of Capitol riot, active-duty Army officer under investigation