By Jasmine Wang
A woman who may have stolen a laptop or hard drive from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office during the Capitol riot earlier this month has been arrested by authorities. They are now investigating whether or not she planned to give the device to Russia’s foreign intelligence agency.
At first Riley June Williams was arrested for charges related to entering a restricted building and disrupting the orderly conduct of government. However, another arrest warrant says the FBI is investigating a claim that she stole a laptop or hard drive. A former romantic partner of Williams claims that she intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to the SVR.
Williams claims that she destroyed the device because the plan failed. The FBI are still investigating that claim.
Later on, Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s chief of staff, confirmed that the laptop was only used for presentations.
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