A former grassroots organizer for the conservative group FreedomWorks is facing charges in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
Brandon Prenzlin, 26, was allegedly inside the Capitol building for about three and half minutes. He was arrested and charged last week with four federal misdemeanors, including disorderly conduct and entering the Capitol building without permission.
A FreedomWorks spokesperson said that, as of Monday, Mr. Prenzlin was no longer employed with the organization. His photo and employee biography were removed from the staff page on the group’s website.
According to an FBI affidavit, a confidential source identified Mr. Prenzlin in screenshots of publicly available videos of the riot. The screenshots reportedly “appeared to match” photos of Mr. Prenzlin posted to the FreedomWorks website, social media and his driver’s license.
The FBI noted that Mr. Prenzlin was wearing “distinctive navy-blue shoes with dark tan thick gum soles” during the riot and he appeared to be wearing similar shoes in a photo on social media.
Agents also conducted “physical surveillance” of Mr. Prenzlin at Reagan National Airport and a photo in the affidavit shows he seems to be wearing the shoes.
Court documents show Mr. Prenzlin was arrested in Arlington, Virginia, last Friday and released on Monday. His next court date is set for Nov. 30.
FreedomWorks was formed through a 2004 merger between the Koch Brothers’ Citizens for a Sound Economy and conservative think tank Empower America. The organization bills itself as a “grassroots service center dedicated to helping activists fight for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom.”
The Justice Department has charged more than 600 people for their alleged roles in storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
