(WWJ) An Oakland County man was paid a visit by the FBI, after attending a rally early this month at the U.S. Capitol — just before the deadly riot.
Trey DiPietro, 62, told WWJ's Charlie Langton that federal agents came to his Orchard Lake home because someone posted a picture on social media of him riding a bike outside the Capitol building on Jan. 6.
Trey DiPietro attend a rally in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.Courtesy Trey DiPietro
DiPietro said he went to Washington D.C. to bid the president farewell, and had no ill intentions.
He talked about the mood of the crowd at the rally.
"I heard (President Trump) say, you know, let's head on down to the Capitol, and people were all excited and they started walking that way," DiPietro said. "But there was never any sense, from anybody that I experienced, that we were grabbing pitchforks and lighting the torches and going to storm the castle or anything like that."
While a mob did actually storm the building, DiPietro did not go inside, and did not participate in the violence, he said.
DiPietro said he was questioned by the FBI for around 30 minutes about how he found out about the rally, before the agents left his home.
Other than simply appearing in a photo, DiPietro said he can't imagine how he would end up on the FBI's radar.
"I've never been to a KKK rally; I've never been to a Black Lives Matter protest," he told Langton, "because I'm autistic, and generally I avoid crowds."
"But in my 62 years I never had a presidential winner before Trump, and I doubted I'd ever see another person again I voted for in the White House."
DiPietro was not arrested and faces no charges, but said he's upset that he may now have an FBI file.
Meanwhile, the FBI has said there are multiple people in Michigan under investigation for their participation in the event, characterized by some as an insurrection, or failed coup.
Federal charges have been filed against several Michiganders who were there, including a Wayne County man allegedly seen on video beating a police officer with a hockey stick.
While Trump is facing an impeachment trial for allegedly inciting the violence, which led to the deaths of five people, the FBI investigation is ongoing.
Anyone who has information on those involved, who witnessed or even participated in the violence at the Capitol, is asked to contact FBI investigators at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips may also be submitted online at https://fbi.gov/USCapitol.
