Pentagon Hires Elias Irizarry, Convicted in Jan. 6 Case, for Counterterrorism Role
The Defense Department said Irizarry was a qualified, patriotic young professional as officials questioned hiring a Jan. 6 rioter for a sensitive role.
- On Tuesday, the Trump administration hired Elias Irizarry for a role in Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, despite his guilty plea for entering the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
- Irizarry entered the Capitol Building through a broken window during the "Stop the Steal" rally, later pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges and serving 14 days in jail for disorderly conduct.
- Four officials questioned the hiring of individuals linked to the January 6 attack for sensitive Pentagon roles, suggesting standard vetting processes may have been bypassed or overridden.
- Joel Valdez, acting Pentagon press secretary, defended the appointment, calling Irizarry a "qualified, patriotic young professional" while criticizing the Washington Post for reporting on the hiring.
- The appointment triggers scrutiny regarding vetting of political appointees with criminal records, as the Pentagon maintains its defensive posture amid external criticism of personnel decisions in sensitive security roles.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Former Citadel cadet and Jan. 6 defendant lands counterterrorism job at the Pentagon, report says
Elias Irizarry was a freshman at The Citadel when he joined the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After pleading guilty, being suspended and later graduating, he has reportedly landed a job at the Pentagon.
Department of War Hires Man Convicted in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
The Department of War has hired a man who pleaded guilty to taking part in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Department of War spokesman Joel Valdez on June 3 confirmed that Elias Irizarry is working for the Pentagon. “Mr. Elias Irizarry is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee at the Department of War,” Valdez told The Epoch Times via email. The Department of War declined …
Who Is Elias Irizarry? Convicted 6 January Rioter Hired for Pentagon Terrorism Post Despite a 'Checkered Background'
Four people familiar with the situation reveal that the Trump administration has brought a convicted 6 January rioter—who subsequently expressed remorse for participating in the US Capitol insurrection— into a Pentagon office handling highly classified military operations. The Pentagon Appointment Internal staff are deeply alarmed by the decision to place Elias Irizarry into the Department of Defense's Special Operations and Low Intensity Confli…
Trump Appoints J6er To A Highly Classified Pentagon Position
A convicted Jan. 6 rioter who later said that he regretted his participation in the U.S. Capitol attack has been hired by the Trump administration to work inside a Pentagon office that manages highly classified military operations, according to sources who spoke to the Washington Post. The appointment of Elias Irizarry, who was 19 at the time of the riot in 2021, to a post in the Defense Department’s Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Trump’s Pentagon hires Jan 6 rioter for highly sensitive counterterrorism role
The Trump administration previously hired an accused January 6 rioter to the Justice Department
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