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CEOs are firing employees who stormed the US Capitol after seeing their photos and videos on social media

Kate Duffy   

CEOs are firing employees who stormed the US Capitol after seeing their photos and videos on social media
PoliticsPolitics3 min read
  • Some rioters who stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday have been fired after posting pictures and videos on social media.
  • Goosehead Insurance tweeted that its associate general counsel was no longer employed after posting on Instagram that he had been tear-gassed at the Capitol.
  • A real-estate agent in Chicago was fired after posting a picture on Facebook of her celebrating after the insurrection with a glass of Champagne.
  • A former Republican state lawmaker, a Chicago tech CEO, and an employee from a Maryland marketing company were also among those to be terminated.

CEOs of US companies said they have fired employees who stormed the Capitol on Wednesday after seeing photos and videos of them on social media.

The pro-Trump mob forced its way into the Capitol building during a joint session of Congress to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's election victory.

Many business leaders condemned the violence in Washington, DC, saying it was "sad and shameful." But others who saw evidence on social media of their employees participating in the riot went a step further.

Goosehead Insurance, based in Texas, announced Thursday that Paul Davis, an associate general counsel, was no longer working at the company. Davis, wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap, had posted on Instagram that he was tear-gassed at the riot.

In an email to staffers on Thursday seen by The Wall Street Journal, Goosehead CEO Mark Jones said the company was "surprised and dismayed to learn that one of our employees, without our knowledge or support, participated in a violent demonstration at our nation's capital yesterday."

A spokesman for Goosehead told The Journal that the company hired Davis in mid-2020.

Libby Andrews, a real-estate agent from Chicago, posted pictures on Facebook of the pro-Trump mob and one of a glass of Champagne with the caption "After storming the capital a good glass of champagne is needed!"

Her employer, Properties, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that it had "received a tremendous amount of outreach regarding the actions of one of our agents, Libby Andrews," and that it was "terminating this agent, who acknowledged on social media, that she took part in 'storming the Capitol.'"

Properties "does not condone violence, destruction or illegal activities," the estate agent said.

In an interview with Reuters, Andrews said: "I'm a 56-year-old woman, petite. I was not there causing trouble. I was there to support my president."

Andrews said she climbed the steps of the Capitol without pushing past police officers, then posted selfies on Instagram, sang the national anthem, and moved on.

Other Trump supporters who took part in storming the Capitol have resigned, including Rick Saccone, a former Republican state lawmaker in Pennsylvania who worked as a professor at Saint Vincent College.

The president of the college said in a statement on Thursday that as a result of an investigation, Saccone "submitted and we have accepted his letter of resignation, effective immediately."

"This individual will no longer be associated with Saint Vincent College in any capacity," the statement said.

In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Saccone said: "We are storming the Capitol. Our vanguard has broken through the barricades. We will save this nation. Are u with me?"

Navistar Direct Marketing, a marketing company in Maryland, also said it terminated an employee after seeing photos of him wearing his work lanyard inside the Capitol on Wednesday. Photos also showed him wearing a Trump hat and hoodie and carrying a flag that said "Trump is my president."

Navistar Direct Marketing said in a statement that the employee, who wasn't named, was "terminated for cause."

Bradley Rukstales, the CEO of Cogensia, a marketing-data company in Chicago, was arrested and charged with unlawful entry during the Capitol siege. Cogensia tweeted that it placed Rukstales on a leave of absence "while we assess further."

Read more: The 19 power players in Congress who will shape the next four years as Joe Biden pursues his agenda

The FBI has asked for the public's help in identifying the insurrectionists who participated in the violent breach of the Capitol. They could be charged with federal crimes.

Five people died in the riot, including a Capitol Police officer who was injured while responding to the pro-Trump mob. Many lawmakers were evacuated as police officers were overwhelmed. The building was secured hours later, and Congress certified Biden's win early Thursday.

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