Former Capitol Police Officer Takes Legal Action Over False Pipe Bomb Allegations
A former U.S. Capitol Police officer who defended the Capitol during the January 6, 2021, insurrection has filed a defamation lawsuit against a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and his media employer. Shauni Kerkhoff is suing Steve Baker, a self-proclaimed investigative reporter, and Blaze Media, alleging they baselessly claimed she planted pipe bombs at the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee buildings in Washington, D.C., on the eve of the attack.
Lawsuit Details and Allegations
The 124-page lawsuit, filed in Virginia on Tuesday, names Baker and reporter Joseph Hanneman. It accuses Blaze Media of publishing an article in November 2023 that falsely asserted "forensic gait analysis" showed Kerkhoff was a "98% match" to the suspect seen in surveillance footage planting the bombs. Kerkhoff's lawyers state that Baker and Hanneman "simply made it up," noting she was at home with her boyfriend and dog during the incident, supported by cell phone footage. The FBI arrested a suspect, Brian Cole of Virginia, in December 2023.
In a statement, Jon Kaiman, Kerkhoff's attorney, told HuffPost the lawsuit is a "righteous and important case to set the record straight." He added, "We are honored to represent her and hold accountable those who published these damaging falsehoods."
Background of the Accused Reporters
Baker and Hanneman have long promoted conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, claiming it was an inside job. Baker has published pieces alleging the riot was a bid by "occupying elites" to seize political territory, while Hanneman, a former reporter for The Epoch Times, produced a documentary blaming Capitol Police officers for provoking rioters. The lawsuit claims that after Baker appeared on Glenn Beck's podcast in November 2023, he made a series of false claims, including identifying the pipe bomber through gait analysis and suggesting a federal source remarked, "She's one of us!"
Fabricated Evidence and Media Campaign
According to the lawsuit, Baker and Hanneman orchestrated a "carefully orchestrated" media campaign, promising "bombshells" and fabricating details to boost ratings. They relied on sources with no credible experience for the gait analysis and falsely claimed Kerkhoff walked with a limp. The suit notes that Kerkhoff does not have a limp, has run multiple marathons since 2016, and set a female record in police physical fitness training. Defendants never sought her comment before publishing the accusations.
Baker allegedly avoided the FBI, believing it was engaged in a cover-up, and instead shared his "tip" with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to create an illusion of credibility. A draft memo from ODNI circulated among Trump administration officials and was eventually shared with the CIA, where Kerkhoff worked in November 2023, leading to her life being "irrevocably changed."
Impact on Kerkhoff's Life
Kerkhoff faced intense scrutiny, including FBI interrogations, a polygraph test, searches of her home, phone, and car, and interviews with her boyfriend. Bomb-sniffing dogs searched her property for hours, and she was investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. She was placed on administrative leave by the CIA for almost two weeks before being cleared, with her lawyers stating she had "nothing to do with the pipe bombs."
Despite CBS News debunking the claims in November 2023 by reporting Kerkhoff's video alibi, Baker and Hanneman did not retract their accusations. Blaze Media only "quietly updated" the article with a sentence noting CBS News had ruled out her involvement. After Cole's arrest, Blaze Media removed text but not headlines from two articles and replaced Kerkhoff's photo with CCTV footage of the hooded suspect.
Ongoing Fallout and Fundraising
Kerkhoff says Baker and Hanneman continue to suggest Cole is a "patsy" and have launched an online fundraising campaign, raising $20,000 so far. Her personal relationships have suffered, neighbors avoid her, and she fears for her safety daily, leaving home only with a "baseball hat pulled low over her eyes." Kerkhoff, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for her service on Jan. 6, faces ongoing harassment.
Baker, pardoned by Trump along with over 1,500 other Jan. 6 defendants, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to four misdemeanor charges related to the insurrection, including trespassing and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors accused him of antagonizing police during the riot, and he was inside the Capitol for 37 minutes, according to an FBI affidavit. An attorney for Baker and Hanneman did not immediately return a request for comment.
