The FBI had an informant in the crowd during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing confidential records it obtained.

The informant’s name was not revealed in the records, though he was affiliated with a Midwest chapter of the far-right group the Proud Boys, according to the newspaper.

Based on an account of the informant’s activities detailed in the records, the informant described meeting up with men from other Proud Boys chapters at 10 a.m. at the Washington Monument and eventually entering the Capitol.

The informant entered after debating whether to do so, the Times reported. He left through a window after police told him that someone had been shot – likely Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, the newspaper noted.

The informant has since denied that the Proud Boys intended to use violence on Jan. 6 but rather were consumed by a herd mentality. He has also denied that the group planned to attack the Capitol in interviews, the Times reported. 

In a statement to The Hill, an FBI spokesperson said the agency’s “mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and intelligence gathering is essential to those efforts.” 

“While the FBI’s standard practice is not to discuss its sources and methods, it is important to understand that sources provide valuable information regarding criminal activity and national security matters,” the statement said. 

More than 600 people have been arrested in connection with the deadly attack, according to the Justice Department, and more than 50 have pleaded guilty.

The Times noted that 15 members of the Proud Boys have been charged with conspiracy in four separate cases.

Reuters reported in early August that the FBI has found little evidence to suggest that the attack was largely coordinated. 

While groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers were intent on entering the Capitol, officials told Reuters that there appeared to be no coordinated plans regarding what they would do once they broke into the building.

The Hill

The FBI is asking the public for help in identifying suspects seen attacking police officers in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack in newly released video.

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James Cusick, a 73 year old Purple Heart Vietnam War Veteran and pastor, was arrested by the FBI at his home in Florida this week for entering the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.

Pastor James “Jim” Cusick Jr. of the Global Outreach Church of Melbourne, and his minister son, Casey Cusick, face charges of entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and violent entry, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. A third man, Global Outreach church member David Lesperance, also faces charges.

Investigators say they first received a tip via telephone in January, followed by an anonymous letter on March 26, alleging that Lesperance and the Cusicks had traveled from Florida to D.C. and participated in the insurrection after listening to former President Trump speak.

The FBI found surveillance footage of the three men among the mob of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol during the riots that left five people dead and roughly 140 law enforcement officers injured.

FBI agents interviewed Lesperance several days after the attack on the Capitol and he admitted that he was at the U.S. Capitol riot with his pastor, who he refused to identify, according to the affidavit. He also confessed to having taken photos and videos that day, but said he later deleted them.

Investigators secured a warrant to search Lesperance’s cellphone and found both historical location data placing him at the Capitol on Jan. 6 as well as photos from his iCloud account that show James and Casey Cusick inside the building, the affidavit states.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she is going to form a special body to investigate circumstances surrounding the attack on the Capitol.

“Jan. 6 was a day of darkness for our country,” Pelosi said, adding that she cannot forgive the “terror and trauma” suffered by members of Congress and their staff.