The former editor-in-chief of a New York-based Jewish newspaper was arrested Thursday on charges related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The charges against Elliot Resnick, who was arrested in Manhattan, include obstructing law enforcement and assaulting officers. At the time of the riot, Resnick was working for The Jewish Press of Brooklyn.
Resnick, 39, is said to have been one of the first rioters to force his way into the Capitol through the doors of the east rotunda. According to court documents, he was among a group who rushed up the stairs when the police line fell near East Plaza and illegally entered the building.
An FBI investigator said in court documents that in the run-up to the riots, Resnick had repeatedly posted on social media questioning the 2020 election results. He is said to have written in a post on Parler, among other things, that “if you blatantly violate electoral laws, there should be consequences”.
The Jan. 6 video showed Resnick grabbing and holding the arm of a Capitol police officer who was using a chemical irritant to deter rioters from breaching the Capitol doors, the FBI investigator said.
After the doors were forced open, Resnick dragged other rioters with him into the Capitol and stayed in the building for nearly an hour, court documents say. Resnick is also said to have been seen on video provided by Washington Metropolitan Police Department walking around the restricted Capitol lot after exiting the building.
At the time of the riots, Resnick was employed by The Jewish Press, where he had worked in various capacities for 14 years before becoming editor-in-chief. He retired in May 2021.
Recommended
In response to an April 2021 Politico article detailing Resnick’s presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the Jewish Press editorial board said in a statement that Resnick was “covering the rally and the rest of the horrifying events of the day” for the newspaper.
“The Jewish press fails to see why Elliot’s personal views of former President Trump should set him apart from the dozens of other journalists covering the events, including many in the Capitol during the riots, nor why his presence warrants an article in Politico during it the presence of other reporters in the building,” the board said.
Resnick and The Jewish Press did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday night.
At least 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with Jan. 6, including more than 320 charged with assault or obstructing law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.
Zoe Richards