Category: Politics
Assistant Capitol Police chief accused by Rep. Massie of thwarting congressional J6 pipe-bomb investigation retires
Ashan M. Benedict, the assistant U.S. Capitol Police chief who a congressman alleges prevented two special agents involved in the discovery of a pipe bomb at the Democratic National Committee building from testifying before a U.S. House panel, has retired from the department, Blaze News has learned.
Rumors of Benedict’s retirement came one day after Blaze News published an investigation showing unexplained activity by the Capitol Police officers who discovered that bomb, who were overseen by Benedict. The announcement surprised some at the Capitol Police because his contract with the department was set to expire at the end of the month, on Dec. 1. Benedict came to the Capitol Police on Dec. 4, 2023, as assistant chief for protective and intelligence operations, which includes counter-surveillance teams. He later became assistant chief for standards and training operations.
‘They never looked for a third or fourth or fifth pipe bomb.’
Before he joined the USCP, Benedict was the DNC pipe-bomb incident commander for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In that post, he oversaw ATF’s response to the J6 pipe-bomb threat.
Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan distributed a bulletin Monday, Nov. 24, announcing Benedict’s retirement after less than two years with the USCP. Word had already circulated around the department on the Wednesday before that Benedict was leaving, two sources told Blaze News.
Word of Benedict’s retirement started percolating a day after Blaze News published an investigation showing the two USCP counter-surveillance agents who discovered the DNC bomb on Jan. 6, 2021, seemingly acting in a suspicious manner. The cops parked their car that afternoon and walked straight past a pipe bomb to another location, which Blaze News’ investigation discovered that the pipe-bomb suspect visited the night before. Then the officers returned to the DNC building, where one of them discovered the device.
Pipe-bomb suspect, construction worker, and police at a bush next to Congressional Black Caucus Institute.Photos by U.S. Capitol Police
“I went from 90% certain that some Capitol Police were involved in the Jan. 6 pipe bomb to 95% certain, and now I’m at 99% certain after this new story,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told Blaze News last week in an interview with Steve Baker broadcast on Matt Kibbe’s “Free the People” podcast and posted to X.
“I’m doing this on probability. The probability may even be higher than that.”
The officers were not seen searching any other areas for explosives in any of the extensive video available and reviewed by Blaze News, and they did not continue searching after the DNC device was found at 1:05 p.m. on Jan. 6.
The USCP has since confirmed that one of its agents found the pipe bomb near the DNC park bench, but there is no video showing that because key cameras were turned away from the DNC building at the time. The fact that the DNC bomb was discovered by plainclothes Capitol Police officers, and not merely a pair of passersby, was not made public until Blaze News broke that news in January 2024.
Following that story, Massie told Blaze News he was determined to interview the agents, but did not get much cooperation from Capitol Police. Massie referred to the agents as “man-bun guy” and “backpack guy” (the one who discovered the bomb). By this time, the agents were under Benedict’s command.
Key cameras that cover the Democratic National Committee building were turned away during bomb discovery and disposal.U.S. Capitol Police
The Capitol Police never made “backpack guy” available to Massie, but on Jan. 30, 2024, they did eventually send his partner, accompanied by Benedict, to speak with the congressman in a meeting that was not recorded or transcribed.
“So they came over to my office, but not ‘backpack guy,’” Massie said. “’Man-bun guy’ came over, and he had a handler, who would often interrupt and answer questions for him.”
‘They just kind of wander off. Their job was done. They had found the second pipe bomb.’
Two congressional investigators sat in on the meeting alongside Benedict, the police officer, and Massie. “In the conversation with the counter-surveillance officer in my office, Ashan Benedict would frequently interrupt the officer, answer before the officer could reply, or qualify the officer’s answers,” Massie told Blaze News. “There was an effort by our committee staff to get Benedict to sit for a transcribed interview, but he successfully evaded that effort.”
Massie asked the agent who sent him and his partner to the DNC building, as opposed to some other high-visibility potential target.
“How did you know to go look there?” Massie said he asked. “And it wasn’t a real good answer, something like, ‘That was my sector’ or something. You know, ‘We’re assigned sectors, and that’s just the sector that I look in.’”
According to the January 2025 report of the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, three two-man Capitol Police counter-surveillance teams were dispatched to look for other bombs after discovery of the Capitol Hill Club device.
Massie said he showed a video to the men, depicting the slow, nonchalant response from the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department, and Capitol Police to the discovery of a bomb that potentially could have killed them all.
‘He never told me about this other bush.’
“Look, there’s pedestrians still walking around, and this is allegedly a pipe bomb,” Massie said. “And that’s when his handler [Benedict] stepped in and said, ‘Well, you don’t want to alarm people when you have a lot of crowds. You know, when you find a bomb or something, you can’t yell, ‘Bomb!’ You gotta just play it cool.’”
Video showed there were no crowds near the DNC bomb site. Occasional pedestrian traffic continued on the sidewalk within feet of the bomb, and vehicle traffic was not immediately stopped on nearby streets. Commuter trains continued to rumble over the adjacent train trestle for 15 minutes after discovery of the bomb.
Massie said his next question “elicited the oddest body language I’ve ever seen in a meeting and no real answer.”
“Well, so then you obviously went looking for another pipe bomb, right?” Massie recalled. “You found two of them within 30 minutes. You must believe the whole place is riddled with them if you’re finding them this quickly.
“I actually knew part of the answer. I watched the video of where he went after,” Massie said. “They just kind of wander off. Their job was done. They had found the second pipe bomb. They never looked for a third or fourth or fifth pipe bomb, and they didn’t have an answer to me for why the search for pipe bombs was over once they found the second pipe bomb. No answer. Weirdest meeting in the world.”
Massie said he still wants to see the officer who actually found the bomb and interview him, his partner, and Benedict under oath for transcribed interviews. “Those need to be transcribed interviews. They need to be sworn in. I feel very strongly about that,” he said. “But the reality is the FBI should be doing these things.”
“How did they know exactly where to look, including the place [Congressional Black Caucus Institute bush] where the pipe bomber tried to place a bomb?” Massie asked. “It was police, it was Capitol Hill Police that found these bombs, and they got there. But … I hope they went and bought lottery tickets after finding these, after going to these two locations.
“But when you take them all together, and the fact that I got to interview these, it’s at least one of these guys [who discovered the bomb], and he never told me about this other bush,” Massie said. “He didn’t have answers for why they didn’t look for more bombs after they found the second one. And then we’ve got the ATF person in charge of the bomb stuff happening on Jan. 6 is now at Capitol Police handling the interview?”
Sources have said the two special agents, who are known to Blaze News, are still with the Capitol Police. The one who discovered the bomb is now the Capitol Police’s liaison to the FBI — the agency charged with investigating the pipe bombs. His partner, who accompanied Benedict to meet with Massie, still works in the intelligence section.
Benedict’s retirement is just the latest disclosure in two months of developments in the long-unsolved pipe-bomb case.
Questions and requests for comment sent to Benedict and the two officers were not returned in time for publication.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trump triumphs as judge dismisses racketeering charges over 2020 election: ‘We are going to keep winning!’
The newly self-appointed prosecutor has dropped the case against President Donald Trump and others in Georgia over alleged election tampering charges.
Peter Skandalakis, the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, stepped in after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified from the case. On Wednesday, he said the case would be dropped in order “to serve the interests of justice and promote judicial finality.”
‘The few remaining Democrat Witch Hunts will soon meet the same embarrassing end. We are going to keep winning.’
The lawsuit was roiled by the discovery of an improper romantic relationship between Willis and Nathan Wade, a top prosecutor in the case. Trump made a reference to the relationship in his post on Truth Social.
“LAW and JUSTICE have prevailed in the Great State of Georgia, as the corrupt Fani Willis Witch Hunt against me, and other Great American Patriots, has been DISMISSED in its entirety,” the president wrote. “This Illegal, Unconstitutional, and unAmerican Hoax was perpetrated against our Nation by Fani and her Low I.Q. Lover, Nathan Wade, at the direction of Crooked Joe Biden and his ‘Handlers.'”
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ordered the case “dismissed in its entirety” against Trump and the co-defendants.
“In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years,” Skandalakis said.
The president went on accuse the former Biden administration of orchestrating the prosecution in Georgia.
“The Deranged Democrats did all they could to viciously attack me, my supporters, and our MAGA Movement, for telling the TRUTH — THE 2020 ELECTION WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN,” he added, “and they committed Crime after Crime as they weaponized our Law Enforcement and Justice System against HONEST AND LOVING Americans but, we have fought back and won both in the Courts and Politically with our Historic, Country saving, Landslide Victory of November 5, 2024.”
RELATED: Georgia judge drops 3 charges in Trump election interference case
“This case should never have been brought,” said Trump’s lead attorney, Steve Sadow, in a statement. “A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.”
“The few remaining Democrat Witch Hunts will soon meet the same embarrassing end. We are going to keep winning,” the president concluded in his post.
Skandalakis said the case would be “best pursued at the federal level.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Federal judge limits warrantless detentions by ICE in Colorado — White House fires off defiant response
A federal judge partially sided with a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union against warrantless detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the administration vowed to appeal it.
Federal Judge R. Brooke Jackson said in his ruling that the warrantless detentions violated the restriction that said individuals must be deemed a flight risk to be justifiable.
‘Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in “racial profiling” are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the US — NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity.’
“Immigration officials are entrusted with enforcing immigration laws and are authorized to pursue an aggressive deportation agenda,” Jackson wrote in the ruling. “They may arrest and initiate removal proceedings against individuals they believe are present without lawful status. But in carrying out these responsibilities, they must follow the law.”
One of the four plaintiffs in the lawsuit is 19-year-old Caroline Dias Goncalves, a student at the University of Utah who was detained after a routine traffic stop in Mesa, Arizona, in June. The deputy released her with only a warning, but he passed on her information to ICE officials, who detained her a few miles down the road.
Jackson said ICE agents had improperly ignored the flight risk stipulation or improperly applied it.
“Plaintiffs are four individuals who had deep and longstanding ties to their communities, including parents, spouses, children, stable employment histories, and active participation in their local churches,” Jackson said. “No reasonable officer could have reasonably concluded that these plaintiffs were likely to flee before a warrant could be obtained.”
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement vowing to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
“This activist ruling is a brazen effort to hamstring the Trump administration from fulfilling the president’s mandate to deport the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin said.
“Allegations that DHS law enforcement engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S. — NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity,” she added. “There are no ‘indiscriminate’ stops being made. DHS conducts enforcement operations in line with the U.S. Constitution and all applicable federal laws without fear, favor, or prejudice.”
RELATED: Church worker pretended to be ICE agent to extort $500 from massage therapist, police say
Jackson further ordered the government to refund the costs incurred by the four defendants. The judge denied a request from the plaintiffs to obtain the training requirements at ICE, but added that if the government did not comply with the order, the plaintiffs could renew the request.
“The Supreme Court recently vindicated us on this question elsewhere, and we look forward to further vindication in this case as well,” McLaughlin concluded.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
2 National Guard troops shot near White House; suspect is in custody
A shooting near the White House led to two National Guard troops being shot, according to early reports from the scene in Washington, D.C.
The Metropolitan Police Department said the scene was secured and a suspect was in custody.
‘[We] heard multiple shots fired as we passed Farragut West. A member of the National Guard fell while others rushed onto the scene.’
A White House correspondent for NTD News said she witnessed the shooting.
“National Guard shot near the White House at a little before 2:15,” Mari Otsu said on a social media post.
“I was in an Uber to work, with my cameraman, and heard multiple shots fired as we passed Farragut West. A member of the National Guard fell while others rushed onto the scene,” she added.
“Area still on lockdown and Secret Service being deployed,” Otsu wrote.
She added a video of the law enforcement response to the area.
President Donald Trump had ordered a surge of troops into D.C. in order to combat the violent crime rampant in the area. The order was met with legal challenges from critics who accused him of acting unlawfully.
Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem confirmed the shooting on social media.
“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C.,” she wrote on social media. “@DHSgov is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, admitted that the troop surge lessened crime in the district, but she was immediately assailed by other Democrats who were angry that she credited the president. She has since announced she is not seeking re-election.
This is a developing story, and more information will be added as it becomes available.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Revamped National Parks program prioritizes Americans and ensures foreigners ‘contribute their fair share’
In an effort to continue putting Americans first, the Trump administration is revamping National Park access next year.
On Tuesday, Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum appeared in a video announcement to explain the changes.
Nonresidents will pay more than triple that price for the same access.
“We’re making it easier & more affordable for Americans to experience the beauty & freedom of our public lands!” Burgum said in the post.
The new program, which includes a digital format for passes and expanded motorcycle access, sends a clear message to patriots and foreigners alike.
U.S. residents will be able to get an annual pass for $80. Nonresidents will pay more than triple that price for the same access.
Secretary Burgum said the premium for foreigners “ensures they contribute their fair share to help preserve and maintain these treasured places.”
RELATED: Trump admin takes major step toward dismantling Department of Education
Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park system, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
The Department of the Interior also highlighted eight resident-only fee-free days in a press release. These include Independence Day, Constitution Day, and Veterans Day, to name a few.
The Department is also releasing several commemorative parks passes, according to Burgum’s announcement on X. Two of the four passes in the video feature President Donald Trump.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
European climate change activists forced to pay more than $1 million over protest damages
In 2023, a group of German climate change activists protested for their cause by gluing themselves to objects at the Hamburg and Dusseldorf airports and spray-painting pieces of art.
This week, a court found that the group was liable for €403,000 in damages to the Lufthansa Group, a landmark decision that could have far-reaching consequences for other protests.
‘The Last Generation isn’t protecting the climate; they’re engaged in criminal activity.’
The figure equates to over $467K in U.S. dollars. The group also has to pay €700,000 in related costs, meaning the total figure is over $1.28 million.
The protesters of the Last Generation group infiltrated the airport on July 13 and caused 57 flights to be canceled. Lufthansa sued for repayment of costs from payments to airline customers as well as additional kerosene consumption.
If the defendants fail to pay the damages, they will each face two years in prison.
Industry experts believe the order will influence other ongoing lawsuits against climate change protesters.
In 2022, Last Generation activists along with others orchestrated disruptive protests at facilities in the U.K., Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. German law enforcement authorities threatened to place Last Generation members in “protective custody” to prevent the disruptions.
The groups at the time were demanding higher taxes on people who fly more frequently as well as a ban on private jets.
In 2023, the group made headlines when a frustrated German woman grabbed a protester blocking traffic by the hair and dragged her out of the way. She was dubbed the “brutal blonde” by some in the media who applauded her efforts after video of the incident went viral online.
“The Last Generation isn’t protecting the climate; they’re engaged in criminal activity,” Transport Minister Volker Wissing said at the time.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Trial update: Wisconsin judge accused of helping illegal alien escape detention set to appear at final pretrial hearing
In April, a Wisconsin judge allegedly helped a violent illegal alien evade federal officers who were waiting outside her courtroom. With her case finally going to trial next month, the judge is set to appear at a final pretrial hearing Wednesday.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan will appear in court for arguments about jury selection and other procedural questions, according to the Associated Press.
Jury selection will take place on December 11 and 12, days before the trial is set to begin.
The AP reported that prosecutors offered Dugan a plea deal, but it was declined. Her defense attorneys argued that Dugan is innocent and acted within her judicial authority.
RELATED: Wisconsin judge who allegedly helped illegal alien evade ICE just got some really bad news
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Dugan allegedly showed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, a Mexican national who was facing three counts of battery, a side door to flee from federal officers. Flores-Ruiz was apprehended after a foot race outside the courthouse.
Jury selection will take place on December 11 and 12. Her trial will begin on December 15. Dugan faces up to six years in prison if convicted on charges of obstruction and concealing a person of interest.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
‘So dumb it hurts my soul’: DHS brutally fact-checks viral ‘new data’ from Cato Institute
The Department of Homeland Security has showed no signs of slowing down its deportation campaign against the “worst of the worst” in the country. However, many of its detractors have tried countless methods of obstructing its mission and undermining public support.
On Monday, Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David Bier challenged the “worst of the worst” narrative with “new data” regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions.
‘By the way, every single one of these illegal aliens broke our nation’s laws by being in the country illegally.’
“Most ‘criminals’ had immigration, traffic, and vice offenses. Not the ‘worst of the worst,'” Bier said.
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
The pie chart shows that 73% of ICE detainees within the period of October 1-November 15 had “no conviction” and only 5% were “violent” offenders.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) highlighted the data, saying: “This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to Bier via Senator Murphy’s post: “This is so dumb it hurts my soul. This is a made up pie chart with no legitimate data behind it — just propaganda to undermine the brave work of @DHSgov law enforcement and fool Americans.”
McLaughlin went on to set the record straight: “~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have active criminal charges or criminal convictions. That doesn’t even include those wanted in another country for a crime, gang members, known/suspected terrorists, wanted by INTERPOL, human rights abusers. The list goes on.”
She then added what many people are thinking, for those who need to hear it: “By the way, every single one of these illegal aliens broke our nation’s laws by being in the country illegally.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Church worker pretended to be ICE agent to extort $500 from massage therapist, police say
The safety director at Gateway Community Church of Webster, Texas, is looking for a new job after his arrest for allegedly pretending to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
Donald Doolittle, 58, pulled out an ICE identification card after getting into an argument over payment with a Houston massage therapist and threatened to have her taken away, according to an affidavit.
Mayans paid him the money, and he allegedly sent her a text saying that she would not hear from ICE agents.
The masseuse, identified as Rita Dumont Mayans, said she showed him a temporary visa.
“He demanded she Zelle him $500, or he would take her away and she would never see her family or children again,” a magistrate said at his court hearing.
Mayans paid him the money, and he allegedly sent her a text saying that she would not hear from ICE agents. He also allegedly told her to delete the texts.
Police were notified about the incident the next day when Mayans spoke to officers at a luncheon.
When he was interviewed by police, he denied being at the business or getting a massage, but security video contradicted his statements.
Doolittle was charged with impersonating a public servant.
RELATED: Man intentionally hit 13-year-old with truck, impersonated officer to kidnap him, says LAPD
The church said Doolittle was fired from his position. The affidavit said that he had worked there for 10 years.
“Upon learning of these allegations on Saturday night, we took immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our congregation and community,” reads a statement from the church.
Bond was set for Doolittle at $10,000.
Critics of ICE agents wearing masks have warned that others could impersonate them in order to harm innocents. The Trump administration has argued the coverings are necessary to protect agents from threats, especially from the far left.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
