Kelly McFadden O’Brien left a significant trail of evidence linking her to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 — she livestreamed a video of herself at the Capitol steps, she posted a string of selfies of herself at the Capitol on Facebook, she was also seen in surveillance video wearing a long white coat inside the Capitol building.
But police couldn’t find the coat when they raided her home three months later. According to her husband, the coat was nowhere to be found because she threw it out after a canister of bear spray she carried Jan. 6 exploded in her purse as it hung with the coat in her powder room. Agents were able to find orange pepper oil stains on a door jamb and window shade that confirmed her husband’s story, The Morning Call reports.
Court filings made public show how FBI agents acted on a tip from one of O’Brien’s Facebook friends led them to video evidence showing her inside the Capitol building.
From The Morning Call:
The tipster told agents that they had viewed live video posted to O’Brien’s Facebook page in which she narrated her approach to the Capitol entrance. They also shared Jan. 7 Facebook posts in which O’Brien attempted to distance herself from the insurrection, telling followers “Please disregard/delete any video I previously shared from the captial … I make no claim. I shared it only.”
“Had to scrub my page, for obvious reasons. Glad some were able to see the truth of what happened. This is why it’s important to become part of the Revolution in our fight for freedom. You must see the lies yourself to truly understand what is going on. We are at a dangerous point in our country. You must pick a side. Good or evil. Have no fear. Trump will still be our president. Trust his plan. He plays 4D chess while they play checkers,” O’Brien wrote.
The FBI received at least three anonymous tips about O’Brien’s Facebook posts including a photo of the exterior of the Capitol captioned, “We are at the front door,” and another that read, “I’m out. I’m safe. Someone may have trashed a certain speaker of the houses office. But I will never tell who.”
Agents also obtained search warrants for O’Brien’s phone which contained video she recorded of rioters after breaking down barriers in which she says, “Right before I got here patriots stormed the Capitol, broke down the barriers, because once again, we own these buildings, we own this city. Our taxes bought and paid for this city.”
They also obtained O’Brien’s deleted Facebook posts including comments in groups including “Stop the Steal 2020,” and “Impeach Governor Wolf,” in which she wrote “We have a duty to our country and our constitution. To not comply. I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. PATRIOTS UNTIED.”
O’Brien was charged last month with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct and engaging in physical violence in the Capitol.
