More than 300 charged in connection to Capitol riot

More than 300 people now face federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill and at least 280 people have been arrested, the Justice Department announced Friday.

“The investigation into those responsible is moving at a speed and scale that’s unprecedented, and rightly so. Those responsible must be held to account, and they will be,” acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin told reporters.

Those figures come over a month after a mob of supporters of former President Trump stormed the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to halt Congress’s certification of the Electoral College. 

The riot led to the deaths of several people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, and shook lawmakers’ and security officials’ confidence in the Capitol complex’s safety.

Among the rioters were members of several right-wing militia groups, including the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters.

Security is expected to be beefed up around the Capitol heading into President Biden’s unscheduled State of the Union address.

“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on Jan. 6 have stated their desires that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union,” acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told House lawmakers Thursday.

“Based on that information, we think that it’s prudent that Capitol Police maintain its enhanced and robust security posture until we address those vulnerabilities,” she added.