The riot that took place at the U.S. Capitol in January was seen by many as the most extreme act of political violence in modern American history, but a new report reveals that many accused of taking part had chosen not to take part in the political process.
A report from Fox 46 Charlotte found that many of those from North Carolina who had been arrested for taking part in the January 6 attack on the Capitol had actually not voted in the 2020 presidential election. Many blame Donald Trump and his unfounded claims of voter fraud as the reason behind the violence.
Accused Rioters Skipped Voting Booth
As the report noted, many of those from North Carolina accused of traveling to Washington, D.C., and ultimately taking part in the attack on the Capitol building did not vote — and many were not even registered.
“Fox 46 checked the voting records of all 12 people from North Carolina who are charged in the capitol attack,” the report noted. Nearly half of them, 5, aren’t registered to vote in the state.”
The report found that others accused of taking part were “reliable Republican voters.”
QAnon Crowd
The lack of voting did not come as a surprise to all. Dr. Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson University and expert in online disinformation, told Fox 46 that many of those who took part would have felt disconnected from the political process.
“There’s a lot of assumptions about a corrupt process in a lot of these communities,” Linvill said.
“And certainly that’s the case within the QAnon community that the system is corrupt. And if you believe the system is corrupt, then why bother voting?”
Capitol Arrests Continue
Now more than five months after the attack first took place, federal investigators continue to work with local officials to make arrests. As CBS News noted, prosecutors have said that the investigation is “unprecedented” in scale, saying in court filing in March that this is “likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.”
Many of the most high-profile individuals have already faced charges, including a man who was photographed with his feet on the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
More Arrests To Come
As the report noted, investigators say there is still more work to do. The FBI has continued to share images of people seen inside the building on January 6, asking for the public to help identify them and bring them to justice. There are close to 100 more arrests expected to take place, the news outlet noted.
“The Department of Justice said that as of Friday, approximately 465 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack,” the report noted. “The government also indicated in a Friday court filing they expect to charge at least 550 people total.”
