Vetting comes as new detail emerged of an Army reservist linked in riot

The head of the DC National Guard said Monday that the FBI is vetting troops involved in securing the US Capitol around President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration to prevent any insider threats.

The vetting comes as new details have emerged linking a rioter involved in the January 6 US Capitol insurrection to the US military.

Among those charged in connection with the riot so far is an Army reservist who federal investigators say has a security-level security clearance and a long record of posting his extremist views online.

Federal investigators said the Army reservist Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, of Colts Neck, New Jersey was described by an informant as “an avowed White supremacist and Nazi sympathizer,” according to court documents.

The court documents also say, in a phone call with the informant on Thursday that was recorded by law enforcement, Hale-Cusanelli can be heard saying that he encouraged members of the mob to “advance” through the Capitol and gave directions “via both voice and hand signals.” It’s not clear if he’s been arrested.

Efforts to find and eliminate extremism within the military’s ranks, particularly among those who espouse White supremacist beliefs, began long before this month’s riot at the Capitol but have taken on increased urgency in the days since.

Extremist groups, including White supremacists, place a premium on recruiting current and former members of the military, a senior defense official said last week, while also trying to get their group’s extremist members into the armed forces. The groups want the experience and expertise of the military.

“We know that some groups attempt to actively recruit our personnel into their cause, or actually encourage their members to join the military for purposes of acquiring skills and experience,” the senior defense official said. “We recognize those skills are prized by some of these groups not only for the capability it offers them, but it also brings legitimacy to them in their mind for their cause.”

The US Army is working with the Secret Service to determine if there are soldiers who will be part of the National Guard contingent providing security at the inauguration who require additional background screening.

The DC National Guard is also providing additional training to service members as they arrive in the nation’s capital that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their chain of command,” an Army spokesperson said in a written statement to CNN last week.

“There is no place for extremism in the military and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action,” the statement said