A political appointee of former President Donald Trump was arrested Thursday on multiple felony charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Politico, the New York Times and the Washington Post report that Federico Klein, 42, was arrested in Virginia on Thursday. He’s the first member of the Trump administration to be charged in connection with the breach of the Capitol.
In a charging document published by the New York Times, investigators allege that Klein “violently shoved a riot shield that apparently had been taken from an officer” while trying to breach the doors to the building.
Klein allegedly then used the shield to prop open the doors of the building. Investigators also accused Klein of calling for more rioters to join the front lines of the battle with police.
According to Politico, Klein was listed on the State Department’s website as a special assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, a “schedule C” political appointee. Politico also reports that Klein worked in the department’s Office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs and was later transferred to an office that handles FOIA requests.
Klein also reportedly worked as a “tech analyst” on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
According to NBC News, Klein was still employed by the State Department on Jan. 6, and at the time possessed “top-secret security clearance.” He resigned his position on Jan. 19, the day before Biden’s inauguration.
Thus far, law enforcement agencies across the country have arrested and charged about 300 people in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.
