The Home Choose Committee investigating the January 6 assault has dismissed a right-wing conspiracy idea falsely alleging an Arizona man working for the FBI inspired Donald Trump supporters to storm the Capitol.

For a number of months, Ray Epps has been the focus of a conspiracy that the January 6 assault was a "false flag" orchestrated by federal brokers.

The claims have been broadly promoted by Fox Information' Tucker Carlson in addition to Republican Senator Ted Cruz and representatives Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie, amongst others.

The claims surrounding Epps are based mostly on movies taken the evening earlier than January 6 in addition to throughout the riot, and the way Epps was featured on the FBI's Capitol Violence Most Wished record earlier than being eliminated with out ever having been arrested.

In a clip taken on January 5, Epps is recorded telling one other Trump supporter: "I do not even prefer to say it as a result of I will be arrested. I am going to say it. We have to go into the Capitol."

In one other, he's addressing a bigger crowd within the streets of Washington D.C. telling them that "we have to go into the Capitol. Into the Capitol."

The group disagrees and begin chanting "Fed, fed, fed" in the direction of Epps.

In one other video taken on January 6, Epps is seen yelling to a crowd: "OK, people, unfold the phrase! As quickly because the president is completed talking, we go to the Capitol. The Capitol is that this route."

Epps is later seen ushering Trump supporters in the direction of the Capitol constructing on the streets on D.C.

In a press release, the Home Choose Committee has dismissed any suggestion that Epps was engaged on behest of the FBI that day and have already interviewed him relating to his actions on January 6.

"The Choose Committee is conscious of unsupported claims that Ray Epps was an FBI informant based mostly on the truth that he was on the FBI Wished record after which was faraway from that record with out being charged," the panel stated.

"The Committee has interviewed Epps. Epps knowledgeable us that he was not employed by, working with, or performing on the route of any regulation enforcement company on Jan fifth or sixth or at another time, & that he has by no means been an informant for the FBI or another regulation enforcement company."

In a sequence of posts on Twitter, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one in every of two Republican members of the Home committee investigating the assault on the Capitol, stated that Epps was faraway from the FBI's Most Wished record as a result of there is no such thing as a proof he broke any legal guidelines on January 6.

Epps was not pictured contained in the Capitol constructing on January 6, regardless of being filmed encouraging others to take action, and there's no proof he attacked law enforcement officials throughout the riot.

Whereas there's a video that reveals Trump supporters smashing police barricades and pushing previous officers outdoors the Capitol, a person who resembles Epps who's close to the rioters doesn't seem like participating.

One other video reveals Epps making an attempt to de-escalate a battle between police and protesters on January 6.

"I am fairly positive the FBI would not be dumb sufficient to place their very own agent on a wished record. Ray Epps has cooperated with the Jan 6 committee and we thank him," Kinzinger tweeted.

"On the broader problem. As an instance Ray was an agent (HE IS NOT), the premise is that one agent can gin up a crowd to rebellion. That is not saying a lot concerning the intelligence of your voters is it Ted [Cruz]? The rioters had formal schooling, owned companies and so forth," Kinzinger added.

"The narrative on Jan 6 has been that it is first antifa, or patriots who love their nation, possibly disaster actors, def false flag operatives, or now FBI brokers. Take your choose. Reality is that they had been rioters incited by lies. And RAY is not any fed. Simply one other misled man."

The statements from the Home Choice Committee investigating January 6 arrived following months of hypothesis from conservative figures. The conspiracy surrounding Epps was featured on Carlson's controversial "Patriot Purge" documentary.

The Fox Information host, who downplays the violence at January 6 and suggests it was a false flag, has additionally incessantly introduced up Epps' title on his present.

In October, Rep. Massie performed footage of Epps throughout a congressional listening to whereas asking Lawyer Basic Merrick Garland concerning the conspiracy that FBI brokers incited violence on January 6.

On the one-year anniversary of the Capitol assault, Greene and Gaetz held a press convention during which they mentioned the false declare that the FBI orchestrated the riot.

Based on a MailOnline report, the 60-year-old runs the Rocking R Farms marriage ceremony venue and hospitality enterprise from his ranch in Queen Creek simply outdoors Phoenix, Arizona.

It was beforehand revealed that Epps was president of the Arizona chapter of the far-right Oath Keepers in 2011. It's unclear if Epps has since reduce ties with the group.

A number of members of the extremist militia have been charged with among the most critical offenses stemming from January 6 after allegedly plotting to violently cease the certification of the 2020 election outcomes.

It is usually broadly reported that Epps is a Marine Corps veteran. Nonetheless, a spokesman for the Marines informed FactCheck.org that there was no file matching his title and birthdate being in that department of the army.

In a short interview with The Arizona Republic final January, Epps downplayed the feedback he was recorded making about storming the Capitol.

"The one factor that meant is we'd go within the doorways like everybody else. It was completely, completely unsuitable the best way they went in," Epps stated.

ray epps
The Home Choose Committee investigating the January 6 assault Ray Ray Epps, who seen suggesting Trump supporters ought to storm the Capitol, was not a federal agent.Screenshot