2 National Guard Members Removed From Inauguration Security After Ties Found to Far-Right Groups

Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty

Two National Guard members found to have ties to far-right militia groups have been removed from their assignments to help secure the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden from outside threats,reports the Associated Press.

No wider plot was discovered, according to the report, which cites an unnamed U.S. Army official and a senior U.S. intelligence official.

State or alleged militia affiliations of the two Guard members were not revealed.

“Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration,” the National Guard Bureau said in response to questions from the AP. Instead, it directed those questions to the Secret Service, which also declined to address whether any Guard members had been removed due to inauguration security concerns.

More than 100 people have been arrested for alleged involvement in the siege, according to the FBI, reports theBBC.

Several of the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol were revealed to have military ties, according to thePost. The Army has been working with the FBI in an effort to vet service members assigned to the inauguration detail out of an abundance of caution, a U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the newspaper.

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“For this deployment everybody is screened additionally, but it’s more of a reassurance, because we do everything we can do [to] know our Guardsmen, our soldiers and airmen,” he said.

Prior to the report that the two Guard members had been removed, the Army said in a statement, “There is no place for extremism in the military and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action,” according to thePost. “The Army is committed to working closely with the FBI as they identify people who participated in the violent attack on the Capitol to determine if the individuals have any connection to the Army.”

source: people.com