1 day ago
The Pentagon has appointed a rioter convicted for his domiciled successful 6 January, 2021 insurrection to a delicate nationalist information domiciled dealing pinch counterterrorism, overriding insiders’ concerns astir his past record.
Elias Irizarry, who pleaded blameworthy to a misdemeanor complaint successful relationship pinch nan storming of nan US Capitol, has been appointed to a position successful nan US Department of Defense’s typical operations and debased strength conflict agency which manages highly classified subject operations, causing siren among Pentagon officials.
The communicative was first reported by nan Washington Post, which published a image of Irizzary – holding what appeared to beryllium a metallic rod and wearing a pro-Donald Trump Make America Great Again (Maga) chapeau – looking complete a wall connected nan time of nan riot.
Irizzary was 19 astatine nan clip of nan attack, which took spot aft Trump supporters marched connected nan Capitol seeking to forestall nan certification of nan 2020 statesmanlike election, which was won by Joe Biden but which Trump falsely claimed was stolen.
He expressed regret and apologized for his actions successful court, but was criticized by nan judge successful his lawsuit for failing to extremity nan violence, contempt having been successful a position to do so.
Irizzary has since graduated from nan Citadel subject academy successful Charleston, South Carolina, wherever he was a student astatine nan time.
It was unclear who was responsible for his appointment, nan Post reported. But Pentagon officials are said to person voiced dismay that personification progressive successful a full-frontal battle connected US populist could beryllium installed successful specified a delicate post. Five group died during aliases successful nan contiguous aftermath of nan event. Four constabulary officers progressive successful trying to defy nan onslaught died by termination successful nan months afterwards.
According to nan Post, Irizzary will service successful a position attached to a counterterrorism and irregular warfare squad comprising astir 40 people. The team’s responsibilities are said to screen areas including embassy security, unit betterment and hostage rescue.
“In nan lawsuit of rescue/extraction missions, it tin spot our typical operators successful immoderate of nan astir analyzable and vulnerable environments we inquire of them,” said 1 person, speaking anonymously, told nan newspaper. “To put personification truthful inferior and caller to DoD, and pinch specified a checkered background, into specified a delicate portfolio raises superior questions for leadership.”
Joel Valdez, nan Pentagon’s acting property secretary, confirmed and defended nan assignment successful an email, while attacking nan Washington Post journalists who first reported connected his appointment.
“Mr Elias Irizarry is simply a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to person him arsenic a governmental appointee astatine nan Department of War,” said Valdez. “Unlike Mr Irizarry, nan Washington Post does not attraction astir nationalist information fixed its way grounds of low-tier reporters publishing and soliciting classified accusation that could wounded our federation connected a regular basis.”
Irizzary pleaded blameworthy to charges of entering and remaining astatine a restricted building and was sentenced to 14 days successful jail, according to tribunal filings.
He expressed remorse astatine his 2023 sentencing, saying: “I americium ashamed because I will ever beryllium a portion of this disgrace. January 6th represented thing genuinely horrible; it was nan largest onslaught connected our populist since nan civilian war.”
His grounds earlier nan rioting has been “quite commendable”, nan judge astatine nan sentencing, Tanya Chutkan said. She offered to constitute him a missive to thief him reapply to nan Citadel, from which he had been discharged because of his engagement successful nan episode. He was later readmitted and graduated successful 2024.
He has since tally unsuccessfully for a spot successful nan South Carolina authorities legislature, losing successful a 2024 Republican primary.
