FBI arrests alleged Capitol rioter who boasted on TV she’d ‘do it again tomorrow’
The woman was fired from her job for her alleged role in riots but says she does not regret it
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Kentucky couple has been arrested for their alleged involvement in last month’s Capitol riots after the woman boasted in a TV interview that she "would do it again tomorrow”.
The FBI said Lori Ann Vinson and Thomas Roy Vinson were arrested on Wednesday on charges of entering the building, demonstrating and disruptive conduct in the Capitol on the day of riots.
The case was built against the two with the help of Lori Vinson’s TV interviews on news stations in Evansville, Indiana, and Nashville, Tennessee.
The criminal complaint by the FBI cites the interviews where Ms Vinson went on record and detailed how she and her husband got into the Capitol building and exclaimed she was not sorry about her actions.
She also said in her interview that she lost her job as a nurse after her employer saw her social media posts about her visit to Washington.
"I would do it again tomorrow," Ms Vinson told 14News on 14 January, according to the criminal complaint. "I felt like I’ve done nothing wrong and I wouldn’t change it."
In one of her interview, she also said she was not aware that Congress was in session at the time of the breach or that lawmakers would have been in the building.
"She expected that no Congressional officials would be in the building because they certainly would not have been allowed entry if they were in session," the FBI said in the complaint.
Ms Vinson said she only "knew there was something going on related to the certification of the electoral votes" on the day of riots. The two left the building after they saw the situation going out of control and a person trying to break into the office of Senator Mitch McConnell, she said.
Over a month after the riots in the Capitol on 6 January, US law enforcement agencies are still working to arrest those suspected of involvement in the storming of the building.
So far, 275 people have been arrested and charged for offences related to the Capitol riots that left five people dead, according to a Justice Department official, and criminal investigations have been opened involving approximately 540 subjects. A number of current and former members of the military have also been charged for crimes including trespassing.
Five people, including a police officer, were killed in the riots as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters forced entry into the Capitol building, clashing with police, crashing through windows, breaking down doors and sending some politicians running for their lives.
Alleged rioters are being identified and arrested by the FBI with the help of videos that were shared online that day, as well as CCTV camera footage.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments