The Justice Department
- A pro-Trump YouTuber was arrested this week for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack.
- Prosecutors said William Kit posted several videos of himself among the mob of rioters that day.
- At least 880 people have been charged and more than 300 people have pleaded guilty in connection to the siege.
A right-wing social media influencer who posted videos of himself participating in the January 6 Capitol riot was arrested this week after an anonymous tipster flagged photos of the pro-Trump YouTuber to the FBI.
William Kit, better known online as "Semore Views," was charged with four misdemeanor counts last month, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Kit's musings on patriotism and politics have garnered him a significant social media following, with more than 37,000 YouTube subscribers and 78,700 Instagram followers.
The Daily Beast and WUSA were first to report on Kit's arrest after court documents in the case were unsealed this week. The DC man made his initial appearance in court on Monday where he was released on a personal recognizance bond and with several conditions, WUSA reported.
Videos on Kit's Semore Views YouTube channel show him among the mob of Trump supporters outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, facing off against law enforcement officers.
"Are you willing to fucking die for this shit?" Kit can be heard shouting in one video. "We are here to die for this shit today."
Kit also filmed himself walking into the Capitol through the Senate Wing door. Once inside the building, he can be heard asking, "Where are those goddamn politicians at? [We're] taking over the goddamn Capitol."
Closed-circuit television footage captured Kit exiting the building through a broken window a couple of minutes later, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Kit was first interviewed by a DC Metropolitan Police officer just two days after the siege, while he was at work at a Maryland convenience store. Nearly a year later, in December 2021, a tipster contacted the FBI about videos on Kit's "Semore Views" YouTube page, according to court documents. Investigators were able to identify Kit, who was pictured wearing an "I am Semore Views" shirt, as well as an American flag bandana during the attack.
Kit did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
At least 880 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot and more than 300 people have pleaded guilty thus far.
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/9E1AWBk
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