Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
No suspects have been named in Jan. 6-related pipe bomb incident
If Your Time is short
-
The FBI is investigating an incident from Jan. 5, 2021, when video showed an unidentified suspect placing two pipe bombs in front of the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention offices.
-
Investigators have named no suspects, but confirmed the investigation is ongoing. They have released video and a map showing what they believe to have been the suspect’s path.
-
In a separate court case that dealt with Greene’s activities relating to Jan. 6, 2021, a judge wrote that the evidence was insufficient to establish that Greene "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or (gave) aid or comfort to the enemies thereof under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution."
Federal investigators are using photos and video to deconstruct exactly what took place during the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. An Instagram post is using the same tactic — to try to suggest that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is the suspect who planted pipe bombs at the Democratic and Republican National Convention offices the night before.
The Oct. 27 Instagram video shows Greene walking down a hallway, her left arm swinging as she holds a briefcase in her right, side by side with footage of the unnamed suspect carrying what investigators believe to be a bag of pipe bombs. The suspect’s left arm swings as the person’s right arm carries what looks like a bag of some kind.
"Is Marjorie Taylor Greene the Capitol riot pipe bomber?" words across the top of the video read. "Look at that arm swing," the caption accompanying it said. "Anything is possible at this point."
This was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook.)
The pipe bomb suspect has yet to be identified, and the FBI has not released any information to suggest that Greene is connected. The FBI has named no suspects, but it has released a great deal of evidence in the case. This includes security footage and a virtual map that highlights the path investigators believe the suspect took while placing the two bombs on Tuesday, Jan. 5, between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. — the night before the U.S. Capitol riots.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The bombs were discovered and disarmed by authorities on Jan. 6, 2021. Kamala Harris, then-vice president-elect, was in the DNC office when the bomb was discovered outside, according to reporting by Politico.
We reached out to the FBI to comment on the claim. They did not provide specifics on their investigation, but a spokesperson said the agency did not have any new information that they could release publicly.
"The FBI’s investigation into who placed pipe bombs near the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees on January 5, 2021, is active and ongoing," they said, along with a request for the public to view photos of the suspect on their website and provide any tips they may have.
On Jan. 5, 2021, it appears Greene was in Washington, D.C., and active on social media posts and in interviews, speaking out against the presidential election results. A video posted to Twitter showed her standing in front of the U.S. Capitol as she told followers to object to the vote and get ready to "fight for America tomorrow." In a Newsmax interview that day, Greene said the plan to object to the electoral results on Jan. 6 was "our 1776 moment."
Greene was the target of a separate legal effort by the advocacy group Free Speech for People, which alleged she violated the third clause of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has "previously taken an oath as a member of Congress" from having "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or (given) aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
Featured Fact-check
During an April court hearing in that matter, Greene denied that she had involvement with any planning of the violent insurrection before it took place.
An administrative law judge in Georgia sided with Greene in the case, writing in May that the evidence was insufficient to establish that Greene "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or (gave) aid or comfort to the enemies thereof under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution."
This isn’t the first time some on social media have hypothesized that Greene was involved. Last year, we rated Pants on Fire! a claim that an image showed Greene tweeted something suggesting she was being investigated for the matter. The tweet was fabricated.
Finding no evidence to substantiate the suggestion that Greene is the DNC and RNC pipe bomb suspect, we rate this claim False.
PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this post.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Oct. 27, 2022
ABC News, Still a Jan. 6 mystery: Who placed the pipe bombs the night before the Capitol attack? Jan. 5, 2022
FBI, FBI Washington Field Office releases video and additional information regarding the pipe bomb investigation, Sept. 8, 2021
ProPublica, Deleted Tweets From Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accessed Oct. 31, 2022
Facebook post, Newsmax interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jan. 5, 2021
ABC News, Marjorie Taylor Greene testifies under oath about Jan. 6, April 22, 2022
PolitiFact: No, Marjorie Taylor Greene didn’t tweet about ‘flimsy circumstantial evidence’ related to Jan. 6, Oct. 28, 2021
Email interview with FBI National Press Office, Oct. 31, 2022
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Gabrielle Settles
No suspects have been named in Jan. 6-related pipe bomb incident
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.