Trump White House associate tied to Proud Boys before riot via cell phone data

A person associated with the Trump White House communicated with a member of the Proud Boys in the days before the Jan. 6 insurrection, The New York Times reports.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) used location, cellular and call record data to make the connection between the unnamed person and the fringe far-right group.

The Times also noted that none of the phone data showed any connection between rioters and members of Congress on Jan. 6. In the aftermath of the insurrection, Democrats made claims that Republicans lawmakers had been involved in the incident, leading to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling for any members of Congress involved to be criminally charged.

The names of the parties involved in the phone call between the White House associate and the Proud Boys were not disclosed, and the FBI doesn’t know exactly what was discussed during the phone call, according to The Times.

Previously, Roger Stone, a longtime Trump associate, was under investigation in 2019 for his alleged involvement with the Proud Boys. Ultimately, the investigation did not lead to any charges being brought against Stone.

Following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Stone once again became a subject of a probe by the Justice Department and FBI.

Stone has previously claimed he was not involved in the insurrection, despite being in Washington, D.C. that day.

“I had no advance knowledge of the riot at the Capitol,” he told ABC last month.

Stone has admitted in the past to having ties to the group’s leader, Enrique Tarrio, who was charged over his connection to the riot. 

The FBI did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.