Credit: © Abaca Press
Justice for J6 rally – Washington
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said it will open an investigation into the NYPD’s ranks following a WNYC/Gothamist investigation of online records that appears to tie several New York law enforcement officers and public officials—including at least two active members of the NYPD—to a far-right, anti-government militia.
The mayor’s investigation comes after an anonymous hacker released what it claims are emails and membership data from the Oath Keepers, an extremist militia group that had a notable presence at the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Eighteen people affiliated with the group have so far been charged with conspiracy related to that event.
The hacked membership records were sent to a nonprofit group called Distributed Denial of Secrets, which shares leaked data with journalists and researchers. The records posted on the internet Monday do not make clear if the members listed are currently active in the militia.
Three New York public officials listed in the leaked membership logs confirmed to WNYC/Gothamist that they had previously signed up for membership with the organization, but claimed they were no longer active. The NYPD officers whose names matched information listed in the hacked records could not be confirmed as active members, so they were not named.
