Two members of the National Guard have been pulled from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden following vetting for links to extremist movements, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
Neither of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, detailed any conclusions of the vetting and it was unclear what information led the Guard members to be pulled. One of the officials said possibly more than two Guard members could be removed following vetting.
On Sunday, acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said that the FBI was assisting the U.S. military in vetting more than 25,000 National Guard troops being deployed to assist in protecting the U.S. Capitol for potential security concerns.
No plot against Biden was found.
The Army official and the intelligence official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity due to Defence Department media regulations. They did not say what fringe group the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in.
Contacted by the AP on Tuesday, the National Guard Bureau referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service and said, “Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration.”
One of the officials said possibly more than two Guard members could be removed following vetting.
— With files from the Associated Press