NBC News is reporting that federal prosecutors on Tuesday told a judge they intend to drop a case against Christopher Kelly, who was arrested January 20 in connection with the January 6 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters. There are nearly 500 such cases pending, so the prosecution is off to a bad start.
This is so embarrassing for the feds. A paid informant lied to them and the FBI just took him at his word. https://t.co/PHRJsQjlQD
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 2, 2021
The man, Christopher Kelly of New York City, was arrested Jan. 20 after the FBI said a paid confidential informant told agents that Kelly was posting material on a Facebook Messenger app about the riot and his plans to be in Washington on Jan. 6. The informant said a photo taken inside the Capitol was also posted, according to the FBI.
In the charging documents filed in court, an FBI agent said, “I believe the messages and image … reflect that Chris Kelly was using this account to inform associates that he had breached the Capitol and was inside.”
The court document accompanying the charges included photos that the FBI said showed Kelly on the Capitol grounds, but they did not include any further indication that he entered the building.
Other riot cases have included data from cellphone service providers indicating that defendants’ phones were inside the building. This case did not. Nor did it include any photos of Kelly himself inside the Capitol or offer any direct proof that he was among the rioters.
Can they get their deposit back from the informant?
What's especially egregious about this is that the informant told the feds "a photo taken inside the Capitol was also posted." The FBI didn't bother to confirm & instead claimed in a sworn doc:
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 2, 2021
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"I believe the messages and image … reflect that Chris Kelly was using this account to inform associates that he had breached the Capitol and was inside."
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 2, 2021
They are quite incapable of embarrassment
— Ron Coleman (@RonColeman) June 2, 2021
A girl can dream.
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 2, 2021
Serious question: is it possible there's more to the story than it says here? Or are they that brazen?
— Eggy McEggHead (@honestpolitics1) June 2, 2021
That's a big oof
— Robert Bean (@TheRealB_Double) June 2, 2021
Oops.
— GrilledTomatoes (@TomatoesGrilled) June 2, 2021
Can’t wait to see how many times they used “CS-1” to hang charges on people.
— Steve (@sfsmith1001) June 2, 2021
They had to pump that number up to 500, somehow. Looks better in the headlines.
— Universal Beard (@llcthecableguy) June 2, 2021
I mean to be fair they went all the way to Alaska to break into the wrong woman's home so I'm not really surprised 😂
— Superman, if he wasn't scared of Green rocks (@nogreenrocks) June 2, 2021
Is this not the nature of the beast, though? I'm probably way too much of a cynic now but I think the point was to just secure the arrest for PR. It didn't really matter if it stood up.
Not defending 1/6 in the least-it was repulsive. I have zero faith in anyone anymore.
— GinaNdTonic (@BGBandita) June 2, 2021
A paid informant? They had no evidence but the word of a person who was incentivized financially to produce a result? How did this case even get filed? pic.twitter.com/aKF8jJT9qw
— NeoUnrealist (@NeoUnrealist) June 2, 2021
They don’t care. They are creating the narrative they need.
— Cheaters aren’t Winners🇺🇸 (@AnnieOldenough) June 2, 2021
They are not embarrassed and there will be no consequences.
— Lee Sheldon (@LeeSheldon26) June 3, 2021
Just like the Steele Dossier.
Can it get more embarrassing than that?
— Dave 🇺🇸🔹 (@trumpencexual) June 2, 2021
Should be embarrassing, but they are way beyond shame.
— contingent 50 (@contingency50) June 2, 2021
Related:
Report: FBI raided home of Alaska couple who were in DC on 1/6, insisted they had Nancy Pelosi’s laptop https://t.co/KTFGYRfmLb
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 1, 2021
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