Senate GOP Releases Files Showing Jan. 6 Tip Put Texas Teacher on Terror Watchlist for Years

Overview

• Committee documents say an anonymous former friend alleged Christine Crowder entered the Capitol, but FBI checks found no corroboration through geolocation, facial recognition, criminal history, or links to extremism.
• Despite the lack of evidence, the FBI recommended adding Crowder to the Terrorist Screening Dataset, flagged her for TSA scrutiny, and labeled her a domestic terrorist, according to the files.
• Agents conducted at least four rounds of physical surveillance of her home in 2021–2022 and later executed a search warrant on her Facebook account via the platform’s law enforcement portal.
• Prosecutors accepted the case based largely on the tip, while Crowder was not interviewed until May 2023, when she provided clothing and a rideshare receipt indicating she was not at the Capitol at the alleged time.
• The FBI closed the case in June 2023 after negative forensic results and evidence of mistaken identity, and the report links the episode to broader concerns with Quiet Skies, which DHS has since terminated after critical internal reviews.