Capitol Rioters Keep Trying to Delete Photos, Videos of Themselves on Jan. 6: AP
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Nearly 50 people are accused of attempting to hide their participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after recording it for posterity. According to a report from the Associated Press, 49 defendants charged in connection with the attempted insurrection are accused of attempting to destroy data—photos, videos, and messages—that documented their presence at the Capitol while a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters stormed it. One defendant, Matthew Mark Wood, told the FBI that he had, in fact, deleted Facebook posts and pictures on his phone about Jan. 6 but that he had never intended to obstruct the certification of the Electoral College. The Facebook post in question, however, showed him crowing about facing down a government that had supposedly stolen an election: “When diplomacy doesn’t work and your message has gone undelivered, it shouldn’t surprise you when we revolt.” In all, more than 500 people have been arrested in connection with the riot.