Criminal probe launched into January 6 deleted Secret Service texts

News of the criminal investigation into deleted Secret Service texts emerged hours before the eighth January 6 committee public hearing (Picture: Reuters)

A criminal investigation has been opened into deleted Secret Service text messages from around the January 6 Capitol riot.

The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general sent a letter to the Secret Service on Wednesday night informing the agency to stop internal investigations on the matter until the criminal probe is done, two sources with knowledge on the matter told NBC News.

‘To ensure the integrity of our investigation, the USSS must not engage in any further investigative activities regarding the collection and preservation of the evidence referenced above,’ DHS Deputy Inspector General Gladys Ayala wrote in the letter to Secret Service Director James Murray.

‘This includes immediately refraining from interviewing potential witnesses, collecting devices or taking any other action that would interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation.’

News of the criminal probe came hours before the House select committee investigating the insurrection holds its eighth and final public hearing.

The deleted texts were expected to be discussed during the hearing, as they were expected to potentially reveal details on then-President Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the insurrection.

It was not immediately clear if the criminal probe could be referred to the Department of Justice.

A Secret Service spokesperson told ABC News: ‘The Secret Service is in receipt of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s letter.

‘We have informed the January 6th Select Committee of the Inspector General’s request and will conduct a thorough legal review to ensure we are fully cooperative with all oversight efforts and that they do not conflict with each other.’

A Secret Service official told NBC News that the letter makes the situation legally complex. Though the DHS has asked the Secret Service to halt its internal investigation, the Secret Service still faces a subpoena from the January 6 committee demanding information about the texts from the National Archives and Records Administration.

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