FBI improperly searched foreign intelligence data on Jan. 6 suspects and Black Lives Matter defendants

Officials at the FBI improperly searched a foreign intelligence database as they investigated suspects in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots and more than 100 people arrested in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in June 2020, according declassified court opinions released Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).    

One FBI analyst also looked up information on more than 19,000 donors to a congressional candidate whose campaign was, in the view of the analyst, a possible "target of foreign influence," but a subsequent review found only eight of the individuals had potential foreign links, according to the documents. (Officials who briefed reporters on Friday said the candidate, who was running against an incumbent, was ultimately not elected to Congress.)  

All of the incidents took place before a range of internal changes were instituted by the FBI beginning in summer of 2021.