Just-released Jan. 6 videos show Capitol Police officer lied in Oath Keepers trial, Blaze Media investigative journalist says
Just-released U.S. Capitol closed-circuit TV video clips from Jan. 6, 2021, show Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus gave false testimony in the Oath Keepers trial, Blaze Media investigative journalist Steve Baker reported.
What's the background?
Baker penned an analysis in October calling into question Lazarus' testimony — which helped convict the Oath Keepers — noting that time-stamped CCTV videos Blaze News observed show Lazarus in other parts of the Capitol complex at the time he said he witnessed now-former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn interacting with Oath Keepers on Jan. 6.
Baker and others could view the Jan. 6 videos only on Washington, D.C., House subcommittee terminals in a limited and restricted capacity. What's more, at the time of Baker's Oct. 4 analysis, Blaze News was permitted to publish only a single Jan. 6 screenshot of Lazarus in the Capitol after then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted the previous day, putting video permissions on hold.
By early November, U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Georgia) released multiple Jan. 6 video screenshots of Lazarus' movements in the Capitol, telling Baker in a statement that he did so because "an allegation of a Capitol Police officer lying under oath is very serious and must be fully investigated."
On Nov. 17, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said nearly all Capitol security videos from Jan. 6 — nearly 40,000 hours' worth — will be made available online to the public. Johnson's announcement followed Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson's appeal to the speaker to release all the videos.
On Friday, Baker said Blaze News finally received permission to publish the Lazarus video clips, which appear in a new video BlazeTV published Monday morning titled, "The Truth about January 6: Part III: David Lazarus: Proof of Perjury."
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Baker's announcement was a response to Tarik Johnson — a former Capitol Police lieutenant — who noted on X that his sources informed him that "USCP Chief J Thomas Manger has decided NOT to investigate the allegation that USCP Special Agent David Lazarus gave false testimony in the Oath Keepers trial."
What about the just-released CCTV clips from Jan. 6?
In Monday's BlazeTV video, Baker breaks down Lazarus' whereabouts in the Capitol complex in a detailed, minute-by-minute fashion using the time-stamped video clips recorded on Capitol CCTV cameras.
While Lazarus testified that he saw Dunn with the Oath Keepers — a claim that Baker said "bolstered" Dunn's testimony — Baker reported that Lazarus "couldn't have" seen Dunn with the Oath Keepers because the CCTV videos show Lazarus "was in another building a quarter of a mile away" at that time.
What's more, Baker said that newly released videos showing Lazarus' whereabouts were "never released" to Oath Keepers' defense attorneys at the time of the trial.
"This should rock the Capitol Police," Baker said in Monday's BlazeTV video. "We received messages from our sources at the [Department of Justice] in Washington that they were 'terrified' of this story."
Then there's the screenshot Baker obtained of an internal email he said was passed between Capitol Police leadership. Baker said they "were concerned about the traction" the story was receiving.
Image source: YouTube screenshot
The screenshot of the email's conclusion reads, "Something for us to keep an eye on to see if it develops or not."
Baker retorted, "Now this is interesting about the Capitol Police that they're more worried about the traction of their story than they are worried about the lie that their special agent told on the stand in the Oath Keepers' trial."
Capitol Police did not immediately reply to Blaze News' request for comment on the newly released Capitol CCTV videos of Lazarus.
Here's BlazeTV's video, "The Truth about January 6: Part III: David Lazarus: Proof of Perjury":
Anything else?
Baker's investigative efforts also resulted in two additional analyses, both focusing on Dunn: "January 6 and the N-word that wasn't" and "Harry Dunn's account of January 6 does not add up. At all."
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