FBI arrests Trump appointee Federico Klein in connection with Capitol riot
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Thursday that it has arrested Federico Klein, one of former President Donald Trump's appointees to the U.S. Department of State, for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Klein, 42, was picked up by federal agents in Virginia, according to a spokesperson for the FBI's field office in Washington, D.C. Details on the charges against him and his alleged role in the deadly riot were not immediately available.
It was unclear whether Klein has obtained legal representation.
As of last summer, Klein was listed in a federal directory as serving as a special assistant in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs since January 2017, and was designated as a "Schedule C" political appointee.
Klein also previously worked on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, according to Politico, which was first to report his arrest.
He is the first known member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob.
The events of Jan. 6 occurred after Trump and his allies held a rally in Washington, D.C., urging Congress not to certify the results of the November presidential election, in which Trump lost to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The then-president vowed to "never concede" and urged his supporters "to fight" as he continued to push baseless claims of election fraud.
Crowds of people then made their way to the steps of the Capitol, pushing through barricades, officers in riot gear and other security measures that were put in place in anticipation of the protest.
An angry mob breached the Capitol building, forcing a lockdown with members of Congress and their staff holed up inside.
It took hours for law enforcement to clear the building and establish a perimeter around the area. Five people, including a police officer, died during the rampage and dozens more were injured.
