FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup

Social media users are misrepresenting a report by the Justice Department inspector general’s office, falsely claiming that it’s proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Claims spreading online focus on the report’s finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so.