Police uncover ‘possible plot’ to breach Capitol

Threat tied to far-right militia group, conspiracy theory about March 4.

WASHINGTON — Capitol Police say they have uncovered intelligence of a “possible plot” by a militia group to breach the U.S. Capitol today, nearly two months after a mob of supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the iconic building to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.

The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of Qanon, that Trump will rise again to power on March 4. That was the original presidential inauguration day until 1933, when it was moved to Jan. 20.

After learning of the possible plot, the U.S. House planned to finish its work for the week Wednesday night. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer notified lawmakers late Wednesday of the sudden schedule change. The Senate will convene as planned to begin debating the $1.9 trillion Covid-19-relief bill.

The announcement comes as the Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies are taking heat from Congress in contentious hearings on their handling of the Jan. 6 riot. Police were ill-prepared for the mass of Trump supporters in tactical gear, some armed, and it took hours for National Guard reinforcements to come. By then, rioters had broken and smashed their way into the building and roamed the halls for hours, stalling Congress’ certification effort temporarily and sending lawmakers into hiding.

On Wednesday, federal agents were seeking to determine whether there was an increase in the number of hotel rooms being rented in Washington, as well as monitoring flights to the area, car rental reservations and any buses being chartered to bring groups into the capital, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Thousands of accounts that promoted the Jan. 6 event that led to a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol have since been suspended by major tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, making it far more difficult for Qanon and far-right groups to organize a repeat of the mass gathering.

Capitol Police say that they have stepped up security around the Capitol complex since January’s insurrection, adding physical security measures such as the fencing topped with razor wire around the Capitol and members of the National Guard who remain at the complex.