What did Matthew Brackley do? Former Republican legislative candidate arrested over Jan 6 Capitol riot

Matthew Brackley, a 39-year-old man from Maine who lost in the US Senate Elections in 2022, has been arrested and charged for his role in the attack on the U.S. capitol that took place on January 6, 2023.

As per a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Distrct of Columbia, Brackley entered the Capitol building after breaching the police barriers and led a marching crowd towards the Senate Chamber.

Matthew Brackley was arrested on Friday, July 21, 2023 in Waldoboro and was presented before the U.S. District Court in Portland. He has been charged with eight counts of felony and misdemeanour charges. These charges include assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and engaging in disorderly conduct and violence in a Capitol building.

The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston and Washington Field Offices in conjunction with the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department.

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Court documents detail the role played by Matthew Brackley in the Capitol attack

As per the press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Matthew Brackley travelled to Washington D.C. to participate in the “Stop the Steal” rally held in the National Mall. The storming of the Capitol occurred right after the rally. As per the release:

"After the rally, Brackley walked to the U.S. Capitol, arriving on the west lawn at about 1:40 p.m., where a large crowd had gathered…Brackley stood in the crowd near the Lower West Terrace, where a police line had formed to keep people from advancing towards the Capitol."

The release states that due to the police line, Matthew Brackley led the rioters towards a flight of stairs below the construction scaffolding of the inaugural stage. The rioters began slashing at the white tarp covering the scaffolding, allowing them to flood the stairs and gain access to the Capitol. They ultimately entered through the Senate wing doors at around 2:30 P.M.

The release details the movements of the mob led by Matthew Brackley as follows:

"As Brackley and the rioters made their way through the Crypt toward the Senate Chambers, they were again stopped by police…Court records say that police instructed Brackley and others to 'back up'; however, Brackley did not retreat and asked the officers where the Speaker of the House’s office was located. Brackley then turned to the crowd behind him, shouted, 'Let’s go!', leaned forward, and used both arms to push through the officers before him."

After making further attempts to breach the Senate Chamber, Brackley and his group ultimately retreated due to the dissemination of chemical spray. The accused left the building at approximately 3:05 P.M.

The release states that the investigators used GPS tracking to identify a phone number and email address that connected back to Matthew Brackley and build the case against him through surveillance footage.

Matthew Brackley had contested for a Senate seat from District 24 as a member of the Republican party but had been beaten by the incumbent Senate Majority Leader, Eloise Vitelli. He is now being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.