"Ray Epps, the uncharged man identified as a key instigator behind the January 6, 2020 Capitol Breach for telling people to storm the Capitol, said in a text message to his nephew that he "orchestrated" things, according to newly released witness transcripts from the January 6th Committee.
"At that point, I didn't know that they were breaking into the Capitol," Epps told Congressional investigators, adding "I didn't know anybody was in the Capitol. ... I was on my way back to the hotel room."
But the night before, Epps was seen going around to various groups of Trump supporters, telling them they need to storm the capitol.
In two interviews with the FBI in 2021, Epps explained his actions on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6. He admitted he was guilty of trespassing on restricted Capitol grounds and confessed to urging protesters to go to—and into—the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Epps also told members of the Committee that he found himself playing peacekeeper between Trump supporter "Baked Alaska" and the police - who called Epps a Fed.
"I was trying to find some common ground," said Epps. "This guy was trying to turn people against me...he was calling me 'boomer,' and it's his generation's fault that we're in the position we're in."
Despite the admissions, the FBI never arrested Epps and he was not charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with any Jan. 6 crimes. The non-action has fueled a crop of theories that he might have been working for the FBI or another agency."
