Overview
- The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that Elias Irizarry, who pleaded guilty to entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is serving as a political appointee assigned to the Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office’s irregular warfare and counterterrorism section.
- Irizarry pleaded guilty in 2022 to a misdemeanor for entering and remaining in a restricted building, was sentenced to 14 days in jail in March 2023, was later pardoned by President Trump, and graduated from The Citadel in 2024.
- People familiar with the matter told reporters that the irregular warfare and counterterrorism team handles delicate missions that typically require top-secret clearances, and several Pentagon staffers have raised internal alarms about placing a Jan. 6 defendant in that portfolio.
- Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez defended the hire as that of “a qualified, patriotic young professional,” while reporting notes it is unclear who in the administration designated Irizarry to the role.
- The appointment could prompt congressional oversight and calls for transparency about vetting and clearances, and it may affect morale and trust within special operations units that plan and execute sensitive embassy security and rescue missions.