Recorded on video attacking police officers with a stolen riot shield during the Capitol riots on January 6, a former State Department aide in the Trump administration was recently arrested and charged with six counts including obstructing an official proceeding, obstructing law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon.
After working on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Federico Klein began employment in the office of Brazilian and Southern Cone Affairs at the State Department in 2017. According to the criminal complaint against him, Klein resigned from the State Department during President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.
At 2:43 p.m. on January 6, Klein was recorded on surveillance video wearing a MAGA hat while storming the Capitol building with a mob of Trump supporters. He stood in the middle of a crowd entering a tunnel that leads to the Lower West Terrace Capitol building entrance.
A few minutes later, police body cam footage caught Klein stealing a police riot shield and later using it as a wedge to prevent officers from closing the doors to the Capitol. Another body cam video recorded Klein later using the shield as a weapon while assaulting police officers.
After Klein was sprayed in the face with a chemical irritant, he moved to a different area and was recorded on a YouTube video repeating, “We need fresh people.”
Klein allegedly continued fighting with police officers and lost his red MAGA hat during the altercation. He was seen in YouTube videos picking up a red U.S. Marines hat and wearing it in subsequent body cam videos.
On January 21, tipsters began informing the FBI that Klein was one of the individuals posted on their Most Wanted list for participants in the Capitol riots. One of Klein’s coworkers at the State Department confirmed that Klein was still employed at the agency when he participated in the assault on the Capitol building.
On Thursday, Klein was arrested on charges that include unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon.
During a brief court appearance on Friday afternoon, Klein told U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, “I’m wondering if there’s a place I could stay in detention where I don’t have cockroaches crawling over me while I’m trying to sleep. I haven’t really slept all that much, your Honor. It would be nice if between now and Tuesday I could sleep in a place where there are not cockroaches all over.”
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