Biden FBI investigated GOP lawmakers who gave constituent tours before Jan. 6
The article traces the inquiry’s origins to Sherrill’s claims that lawmakers conducted reconnaissance tours.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Washington Examiner is an established national outlet with a recognizable editorial operation and an attributed byline. Its reporting relies heavily on records released by Republican senators and does not include a response from the FBI or Biden administration, limiting confidence in its framing.
- Source type — Established national news outlet, with a conservative editorial orientation.
- Transparency — It identifies the documentary source and attributes key statements to named officials and records.
- Author attribution — The article identifies a reporter by name.
- Source selection — The article relies chiefly on materials released by Republican senators and omits a response from the FBI or Biden administration.
The article cites internal communications and identifies several participants, but the released materials are presented primarily through Republican lawmakers’ interpretation. It offers little response from the agencies involved or independent context for evaluating the allegations.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes both prosecutors’ doubts and one prosecutor’s argument for continuing the inquiry, but its overall account relies on documents and interpretations released by Republican lawmakers. It does not include a response from the FBI or the administration whose conduct it scrutinizes.
- Source diversity — Several internal messages are quoted, but the framing is largely based on Republican lawmakers’ release and interpretation of records.
- Omitted context — No response from the FBI or Biden administration is presented.
- Counterarguments presented — It notes that a prosecutor thought the theory had merit and should be examined further.
- Loaded language — The article itself uses terms such as “innocuous” and “unfounded” in describing the claims and tours.
The article frames the inquiry as an unjustified investigation of Republicans, emphasizing terms such as “innocuous” and “unfounded” and foregrounding Republican lawmakers’ criticism. Its language and source selection lean right, though it includes internal messages that supported continuing the inquiry.
- Language tone — Calls the tours “innocuous” and describes the allegation as “unfounded.”
- Source selection — Centers records released and interpretations offered by Republican senators.
- Framing — Presents the probe as proceeding despite weak allegations and skepticism.
- Omission — Includes no response from the FBI or the Biden administration.
Records released by Senate Republicans say the FBI investigated several Republican lawmakers over Capitol tours before Jan. 6, 2021, despite prosecutors’ early doubts about the allegations. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the documents show the case lacked a factual basis.
Internal FBI communications described a preliminary investigation, called Rampart Twelve, formally opened on Jan. 22, 2021. It examined whether Republican lawmakers had assisted people who later took part in the Capitol riot; records say agents obtained phone toll records for Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar. The inquiry closed in January 2022, according to Sen. Eric Schmitt’s account of the records at a Judiciary Committee hearing.
The article traces the allegation to former Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s claims about “reconnaissance” tours and a letter she and other House Democrats sent to Capitol security officials. Prosecutors privately questioned the claims, while one prosecutor also argued investigators should continue examining the theory. Grassley said the documents show the case was opened on allegations that “didn’t exist.”
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSEDNo good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Sherrill in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Sherrill’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Former representative whose claims about Capitol tours prompted scrutiny
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who obtained and released the records
Grassley's version of this story ↗Then-president during the period when the inquiry was opened
Representative named as a subject of the FBI inquiry
Senator who described the records at a Judiciary Committee hearing
Former representative named as a subject of the FBI inquiry
Representative named as a subject of the FBI inquiry
Representative named as a subject of the FBI inquiry
Senator who joined Grassley in obtaining and releasing the records
Part of a bigger story
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