US Army Investigating Officer who Led Group to Washington

By Staff, Agencies 

The US Army is investigating a psychological operations officer who led a group of people from North Carolina to the rally in Washington, DC that led up to the deadly riot in the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Commanders at Fort Bragg are reviewing Captain Emily Rainey’s involvement in last week’s events in the nation’s capital, but she said she acted within military regulations and that no one in her group broke the law.

Rainey, 30, is assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, according to Major Daniel Lessard, a spokesman for 1st Special Forces Command. Known as PSYOPS, the group uses information and misinformation to shape the emotions, decision-making and actions of American adversaries.

Rainey made headlines back in May after she posted a video online of her pulling down caution tape at a playground that was closed under North Carolina’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Police in Southern Pines, a community about 48 kilometers west of Fort Bragg, charged her with injury to personal property over the incident. The police told broadcaster WRAL-TV that they let her off with warnings twice before after she tore down the tape closing off the playground.

In Washington, DC on Wednesday, insurrectionists took over the House and Senate chambers, smashed windows and waved Trump, American and Confederate flags.

The riot followed the rally where Trump repeated false claims that the election had been rigged against him and said he and his supporters are going to have to “fight much harder” to protect democracy.

So far, at least 90 people have been arrested on charges ranging from misdemeanor curfew violations to felonies related to assaults on police officers, possessing illegal weapons and making death threats against Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker and Democratic representative from California.

Rainey said that her group and most people who travelled to Washington, DC “are peace-loving, law-abiding people who were doing nothing but demonstrating our First Amendment rights.”