Former Jan. 6 defendant William Pope seeking DOJ’s entire prosecution file on him



Former Jan. 6 defendant William Pope of Kansas has asked a U.S. district court judge to compel the U.S. Department of Justice to provide him with the entire case file used in what he called a nearly four-year “malicious prosecution.”

“I want answers as to why the government’s pursuit of me was so unprecedented and vindictive, and why certain files were destroyed or withheld from me,” Pope wrote in a motion before Judge Rudolph Contreras.

Pope, 38, of Topeka, Kansas, was facing a June 2025 trial on five criminal charges, including a felony civil disorder count and four misdemeanors. Pope is the publisher of the news website Free State Kansas and a doctoral student at Kansas State University.

The DOJ admitted he was 'entirely peaceful' on Jan. 6.

“I am also moving for the government to produce all outstanding files and information requested by my various motions, and a copy of the entire case file the government has put together on me,” Pope wrote in his Jan. 28 motion. “If the government decides not to provide these items voluntarily, I am asking the court to compel the government to produce them.”

Pope said his goal with the motion is to correctly document history and seek justice.

“My goal is justice,” Pope told Blaze News. "I won my case, and I'm totally innocent, but the government has defamed me for four years with false allegations. I want to be able to document that for history to show people what I went through. There also may still be people and organizations that need to be held accountable. We have to make sure that radical government extremism never takes over America again.”

On a motion from new U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, the case against Pope was dismissed with prejudice by Judge Contreras on Jan. 21.

Pope, who represented himself through much of his case, became known for dislodging closely held government information, including undercover video, the misdeeds of some undercover officers, and the presence of suspected FBI informants in the Jan. 6 crowds. He constantly stressed that the DOJ admitted he was “entirely peaceful” on Jan. 6.

One of his key discoveries was video evidence of a fall-back order given to Metropolitan Police Department officers on the west side of the Capitol, “which gave protesters ‘free access’ to enter the building.” He quoted one MPD officer on body cam as saying, “I can’t believe they let them in.”

Daniel Ball, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., told Blaze News, "We do not have any comment outside of what you can find on the court docket."

Pope included a list of 26 items he seeks from the DOJ, the first being the “government’s entire case file on me, including case notes and work product.”

He also wants any government emails regarding his case and any contacts with Facebook and Instagram, banking and finance institutions, “and any other companies the government may have pressured overtly or through inference to ban me from their services.”

Pope also demanded “all files and communications” related to the destruction of the bodycam video of his arrest on Feb. 12, 2021.

Some of the key items in Pope’s motion are things he has asked for during the course of his case, such as the presence of former and current FBI special agents at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Metropolitan Police Department undercover detectives Ricardo Leiva and William Callahan watch the Jan. 6 crowds on the West Plaza at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Photo by William Pope via U.S. District Court

He asked for non-redacted copies of all files related to former FBI Special Agent John Guandolo, who watched the unfolding protests with current FBI agents from the east lawn of the Capitol.

Pope is also seeking any Metropolitan Police Department undercover video that has not previously been provided in case discovery. He also wants a non-redacted copy of the internal investigation reports of Officer Nicholas Tomasula and Lt. Zeb Barcus. Undercover video showed MPD officers aiding rioters to scale the Northwest Steps, and an officer even admitted during an internal affairs investigation that he had encouraged vandalism of a Capitol window.

Pope wants information on the government’s “use of temporary cellular towers and a mass geofencing warrant to collect my phone data” and “whether the government used technology to suppress cell signals.”

Among Pope’s other demands:

  • Records related to Nicholas Hofer, previously known only by the hashtag “Frodo the Fash,” whom Pope said pushed him into the Capitol. Pope asks for records related to Hofer’s security clearance and working relationship with the government, “which the government has admitted to.”
  • All video and other information on the phone of FBI informant James Ehren Knowles and “all files and memorandums related to the deletion of this evidence and communications between the FBI and Knowles.”
  • “All records of any government agents, contractors, and informants I came within 100 feet of on January 6, 2021.”
  • “All ex-parte filings made by the government to the court, including the filing related to how the government obtained my PayPal records without a warrant.”
  • Information on the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including any warrantless surveillance “or other initial or ongoing surveillance made by the government in my case.”
  • Any records related to the DOJ’s decision to charge him, “even though they acknowledged that I should have had protected status as a journalist.”
  • Records on the government’s use of the “so-called Sedition Hunters to prepare a dossier on me.”
  • Any watch lists he was placed on during his case and whether he is still on those lists.

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Migrants in DC are getting away with driving motorbikes without license plates: Report



Migrants are driving around Washington, D.C., on motorbikes and motorized scooters without license plates or insurance, according to a Monday report by the Daily Signal.

An investigation conducted by the news outlet revealed that many individuals illegally driving unregistered bikes around the D.C. area have not been confronted by the police.

After interviewing about a dozen drivers, the Daily Signal reported that the Metropolitan Police Department seems to be largely ignoring the illegal activity amid an uptick in more motorbikes on the road.

Many individuals are acquiring motorized vehicles to generate income by delivering food. The investigation revealed that a large portion of the bikes lack license plates and are, therefore, unlikely to be properly registered or insured.

According to D.C. law, motorcycles containing engines larger than 50 cubic centimeters must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days and display a license plate. Motorized bicycles that can go above 20 miles per hour must also be registered and have valid insurance.

In D.C., illegal immigrants with notice to appear documents may obtain “a temporary D.C. DMV [driver’s] license or identification card for the duration of processing time indicated in the notice up to a maximum of 18 months.”

A motorized bike shop employee told the Daily Signal that “police don’t give any attention” to drivers riding bikes without a license. The worker explained that the shop provides motorbike purchasers with a license plate that reads “49cc” to avert suspicion about the motors’ actual size. The shop sells only bikes with motors larger than 50cc.

Nearly all bike drivers interviewed by the Daily Signal admitted to illegally crossing the southern border into the country. All of those questioned were driving bikes without license plates. Despite lacking the proper plates, many stated that police had not stopped them at any point.

One American driver told the news outlet he was using a 50cc bike until he noticed others with larger bikes were not getting pulled over.

“Bro, to be honest, they don’t even do nothing,” he told the Daily Signal.

According to the driver, the local police appear to be treating 50cc and 150cc bikes “the same.” He called it “a weird loophole.”

Tom Lynch, a spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, told the news outlet that the drivers violating license and registration laws are “testing their luck.” He noted that there was no way of knowing whether officers had seen the interviewed drivers who were in violation.

The police department said in a statement, “Chief [Pamela] Smith has heard the concerns from the community about traffic safety and is working to strengthen MPD’s traffic enforcement.”

“So far, MPD has conducted 40 Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints across the District. Nearly 19,000 vehicles have passed through these checkpoints, resulting in over 2,600 notice of infractions, 84 arrests and the recovery of 13 firearms,” the spokesperson continued.

The department added that it aims to achieve Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) Vision Zero initiative, which seeks “zero fatalities or serious injuries” by clamping down on “speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and other violations.”

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Washington Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. shot twice in attempted carjacking, DC mayor condemns gun violence



Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. was shot at least twice in an attempted carjacking Sunday in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Robinson, 23, was assaulted on H Street NE by two teenage gunmen who wanted to steal his car, a white Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, according to Chief of Police Robert Contee.

“At some point during the course of this robbery attempt, our victim in this case began to struggle with one of the suspects, was able to actually wrestle that firearm away from one of the suspects. And he was shot twice by the second suspect,” Contee told reporters Monday.

Robinson, a University of Alabama alumnus who in April was drafted by the Commanders in the third round, was shot in the hip and the leg, WTOP-TV reported. His injuries were non-life threatening, and he is reportedly in stable condition now.

"Surgery went well! Thanks for the prayers! God is Great!" Robinson posted on Instagram Monday morning from Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Sunday he visited Robinson in the hospital and that the rookie running back was in "good spirits" as he recovers.

"I just got done visiting w/Brian. He is in good spirits and wanted me to thank everyone for their kind words, prayers & support. He wants his teammates to know he appreciates them all for reaching out and he loves them all & will be back soon doing what he does best," Rivera tweeted.

\u201cI just got done visiting w/Brian. He is in good spirits and wanted me to thank everyone for their kind words, prayers & support. He wants his teammates to know he appreciates them all for reaching out and he loves them all & will be back soon doing what he does best.\u201d
— Ron Rivera (@Ron Rivera) 1661738698

Contee said authorities believe the two suspects left the scene in a vehicle that was stolen at about 4 p.m. Friday on Branch Avenue in Temple Hills in Prince George's County, Maryland. The vehicle was found Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. in Landover.

The shooting took place at around 5:30 p.m., after Robinson went to Crab Boss at 10th and H streets in Northeast D.C. for seafood, WTOP reported.

Police said both of the suspects are teenagers. One was wearing a dark colored shirt, the other, a shirt with yellow smiley faces.

There were two guns involved in the crime, according to law enforcement. One was retrieved at the scene, and authorities are attempting to trace it.

Contee emphasized that while high profile crimes like this one make citizens feel unsafe, the overall crime rate in D.C. has not increased compared to last year.

Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned gun violence in a statement.

“If you know you have a young person that’s involved in crime, may have access to guns, may have a gun in your home, you need to reach out to us so that we can get them some help before they hurt themselves or get hurt,” Bowser said. “We also need young people to face consequences. MPD is going to locate who is responsible for this crime.”

DC police arrest 16-year-old suspect after bomb threats made against 8 schools



Police in Washington, D.C., arrested a 16-year-old boy Thursday in connection with several bomb threats that were made against eight schools this week.

The arrest was made two days after second gentleman Doug Emhoff was evacuated from an event at a district high school after a bomb threat.

The Metropolitan Police Department said that the teen in custody is a resident of southeast D.C. and has been charged with making terrorist threats. The police investigation is ongoing and no further information about the teen's identity or his motives have been released.

Update: a 16-year old juvenile male, of Southeast, DC, has been arrested and charged with Terroristic Threats in connection to multiple bomb threats yesterday. MPD continues to investigate these incidents with our federal partners.
— DC Police Department (@DC Police Department) 1644502123

Eight predominantly black schools, including four public schools and four charter schools, were evacuated Wednesday afternoon after receiving anonymous bomb threats. Police responding to the threats cleared each school and did not find any hazardous materials, authorities said.

The targeted schools were Dunbar High School, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Ron Brown High School, KIPP DC College Preparatory, IDEA Public Charter School, Seed Public Charter School, McKinley Technology High School, and Friendship Public Charter School.

The multiple threats came just one day after Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was escorted out of a Black History Month event at Dunbar High School by the Secret Service because of another bomb threat. A police investigation did not find any sign of a bomb.

Authorities are working to determine if the bomb threats are connected to recent threats made against several historically black colleges and universities across the country, including Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. At least a dozen bomb threats were made against HBCUs on Feb. 1, the beginning of Black History Month.

The FBI identified six "tech savvy" juveniles as persons of interest in their investigation, and NBC News reported that a law enforcement official said the suspects appeared to have racist motivations.

The MPD said it is working with the FBI to determine if the threats made against the D.C. schools are connected to the threats made against HBCUs nationally, WRC-TV reported.

"This is preliminary. So I can't say with any certainty it's not related to recent threats with the historically black colleges, but our partners at the FBI Washington Field Office will work with us to kind of decipher what we have here and make those links — if any. But at this time, it doesn't appear to be related," MPD Executive Assistant Chief of Police Ashan Benedict said.