Two members of the US National Guard have been taken off the security team for the Inauguration due to their ties to right-wing militia groups.
An official from the US Army and a senior US intelligence official confirmed the members’ ties to the fringe groups, though no plot against President-elect Joe Biden or Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was discovered.
The officials, who spoke to the Associated Press anonymously, didn't identify which extremist groups the National Guard troops are connected to or identified which unit the two serve in.
Their dismissal came after the FBI conducted its vetting process and discovered the troops’ ties to the groups.
“Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration,” the National Guard Bureau said in a statement to the AP.
The US Secret Service, who is charged with securing the Inauguration event, wouldn’t comment on the troops’ removal either.
More than 20,000 members of the US National Guard were deployed to the nation’s capital ahead of the Inauguration following the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
The attack, which was carried out by supporters of Donald Trump, was, as US Attorney General Bill Barr said, “precipitated” by Trump’s quest to overturn the results of the November election.
As a result, additional security measures, for both the coronavirus and right-wing extremists, have been taken to ensure the day is safe for all in attendance.
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