Epps, 63, was part of the crowd of thousands who breached restricted areas of the Capitol building, but he became the face of an unproven narrative, spread by a faction of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters, that undercover FBI agents instigated the riot.

People on the Right with loud microphones, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, independent reporter Julie Kelly, and many others, elevated allegations that Epps was a “fed” or part of a “fedsurrection.”

Epps’s suspicious behavior before and during the riot had prompted immediate questions about his true identity. However, Epps and the Department of Justice have since adamantly denied in court documents that he ever worked for the government aside from a four-year stint in the Marines in the 1980s.

On Thursday, DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz poured more cold water on the Epps theory.

Horowitz’s findings

Horowitz said the FBI had 26 confidential human sources in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 in connection with the riot. Horowitz found that while the FBI had used the sources to help prepare for Jan. 6, the bureau had only assigned three of them to be in Washington that day. The others had not been tasked by the FBI with being there, Horowitz said.

Horowitz found that four of the 26 sources entered the Capitol building and that another 13 crossed into restricted areas around the Capitol. The inspector general emphasized that the FBI had not authorized them to enter the Capitol or restricted areas or partake in any other unlawful activity.

Horowitz also noted that no FBI employees were at the Capitol (confidential human sources are not FBI employees, even though they can be paid by the bureau for their services).

Horowitz’s report contradicted the claims about Epps because it revealed that none of the confidential human sources who breached restricted areas have been prosecuted to date.

Epps pleaded guilty last fall to a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct in a restricted area and was sentenced to a year of probation and $500 restitution. By Horowitz’s account, Epps could not have been one of the confidential human sources since Epps did face a charge.

Still, plenty of right-wing online commentators, including some with large followings, cast doubt on Horowitz’s report. Some said there had to have been more FBI sources than merely 26, and some, including X accounts with large followings, re-raised Epps’s name.

26 confidential human sources

One former senior FBI official told the Washington Examiner there was little reason to doubt Horowitz’s determination that 26 sources were present.

FBI field offices keep meticulous records of their confidential human sources, including if they are traveling, according to the former official. FBI headquarters has records of the numbers of confidential human sources being used at field offices in every variety of program and can access field offices’ more detailed records if needed, the former official said.

Horowitz laid out the policies and layers of approvals the FBI has in place for confidential human sources in his report. He emphasized that the bureau did not direct any sources to “encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.” He also provided details about each of the sources without naming them.

One of the sources, described in the report as “Field Office 3 CHS,” was a member of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, for example. The person traveled with 100 Proud Boys to Washington on Jan. 6, Horowitz said.

That FBI source was one of several who followed a normal protocol by “self-initiating” travel on Jan. 6 and informing their respective field offices about the planned travel.