FBI Special Agent Jeremy Desor said the videos revealed that during the confusion, Straka was part of a crowd pushing toward the Capitol door. Desor does not claim that Straka entered the building, but says that while others were trying to attack through the entrance, the activist shouted, “Go! Go!”
Desor said that while a Capitol policeman was trying to make his way through the crowd with a riot shield over his head, Straka urged others to fight him.
“Get it out of him,” Straka supposedly shouted. “Take it! Take it!”
Straka achieved some media attention during Trump’s effort to reverse President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Straka spoke at a variety of past Stop the Steal events at Capitol, Michigan and elsewhere. According to the complaint, he said he should speak at a Capitol rally on January 6, but the event was canceled after the uproar started and the police cleared the crowd.
During his speech the day before the riot, Straka referred to the public as “patriots” and repeatedly referred to a “revolution,” said Desor. Straka also told the participants to “strike back” and added: “We are sending a message to the Democrats, we are not leaving, you have a problem!” the agent reported.
In media appearances, Straka described himself as an ex-gay gay resident in Manhattan. He and his slogan “#walkaway” have become favorites in some conservative sectors for the past two years, featured on shows like the “Judge Jeanine” program on Fox News.
Court records show that the criminal complaint against Straka was approved by a federal judge in Washington last Tuesday.