During a Tuesday night segment on NBC Nightly News, justice and intelligence correspondent Ken Dilanian had an exclusive sitdown interview with the former federal prosecutor and chief investigator of the January 6 Committee, Tim Heaphy who told Dilanian that the federal government could've prevented the January 6 riot at the Capitol if they took the intelligence they received seriously and acted on the threats that were received about the rioters' intentions that day.
What was just as out of the ordinary for NBC was the admission that among the more than 800 pages in the January 6 Committee's report, none of it included their findings on the failure of law enforcement to prevent the riots. Anchor Lester Holt made as much clear in the opening moments of the segment before tossing to Dilanian:
"The January 6 Committee's final report was more than 800 pages, but some material did not make the cut, including much of its findings on the failures of federal law enforcement leading up to the attack," Holt admitted.
"The images of the attack on the capitol stunned America and the world. And tonight, in an exclusive interview, the chief investigator of the January 6 Committee says the government could have prevented it," Dilanian reported before turning to Heaphy to ask "had law enforcement agencies acted on the available intelligence, do you believe the attack on the capitol could have been could have been successfully repelled?"
Heaphy responded: "I think it would have been a lot different had law enforcement taken a more assertive protective posture. The Intel in advance was pretty specific, and it was enough in our view for law enforcement to have done a better job operationalizing a secure perimeter."
"Law enforcement had a very direct role in contributing to surely the failures—the security failures that led to the violence," Heaphy added.
Dilanian revealed how "people familiar with the committee’s work tell NBC News members downplayed that finding because they wanted to keep the focus on former President Trump. Committee members dispute that."
That admission was followed by Dilanian reporting how "Heaphy says the committee found the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies did not act on the intelligence they had, including this online threat forwarded to capitol police January 5, calling for thousands to go to Washington and help storm the capitol."
Yet, according to Dilanian, "the FBI said it sent all the intelligence it had to the capitol police. DHS and capitol police say they've taken steps to make sure threat intelligence is better analyzed and shared."
Now they tell us that law enforcement didn't take the intelligence seriously or failed to act on it. Well over a month after the January 6 Committee report was released, these key findings were conveniently left out of the over 800-page report. Instead, the hyper-partisan committee was more focused on what former President Donald Trump says was a political witch hunt against him.
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To read the transcript, click "expand":
NBC Nightly News
1/31/2023
6:50:33 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Now to our NBC News exclusive. The January 6 committee's final report was more than 800 pages, but some material did not make the cut, including much of its findings on the failures of federal law enforcement leading up to the attack. Here's Ken Dilanian.
KEN DILANIAN: The images of the attack on the capitol stunned America and the world. And tonight, in an exclusive interview, the chief investigator of the January 6 committee says the government could have prevented it. Had law enforcement agencies acted on the available intelligence, do you believe the attack on the capitol could have been could have been successfully repelled?
TIM HEAPHY: I think it would have been a lot different had law enforcement taken a more assertive protective posture. The Intel in advance was pretty specific, and it was enough in our view for law enforcement to have done a better job operationalizing a secure perimeter.
[...]
DILANIAN: Former federal prosecutor Tim Heaphy conducted most of the big interviews for the committee's public hearings.
HEAPHY: Law enforcement had a very direct role in contributing to surely the failures—the security failures that led to the violence.
DILANIAN: People familiar with the committee’s work tell NBC News members downplayed that finding because they wanted to keep the focus on former President Trump. Committee members dispute that. Heaphy would not discuss internal deliberations. Was this an intelligence failure?
HEAPHY: It was not an intelligence failure.
DILANIAN: Heaphy says the committee found the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies did not act on the intelligence they had, including this online threat forwarded to capitol police January 5, calling for thousands to go to Washington and help storm the capitol.
In a statement to NBC News, the FBI said it sent all the intelligence it had to the capitol police. DHS and capitol police say they've taken steps to make sure threat intelligence is better analyzed and shared.
Heaphy told us he agrees with the committee’s conclusion about Mr. Trump’s role in sparking the riot but he hopes the focus on the former President doesn't ease the pressure on federal agencies to fix what went wrong.
