Sedition Hunters

How January 6th Broke the Justice System

By: Ryan J. Reilly

Narrated by: Ryan J. Reilly

The January 6th attack is an unprecedented crime in American history. Sprawling and openly political, it can't be handled by the traditional rules and norms of law enforcement--threatening the very idea of justice and its role in society.

The attack on the Capitol building following the 2020 election was an extraordinarily large and brazen crime. Conspiracies were formed on social media in full public view, the law-breakers paraded on national television with undisguised faces, and with outgoing President Donald Trump openly cheering them on. The basic concept of law enforcement--investigators find criminals and serve justice--quickly breaks down in the face of such an event. The system has been strained by the sheer volume of criminals and the widespread perception that what they did wasn't wrong.

A mass of online tipsters--"sedition hunters"--have mobilized, simultaneously providing the FBI with valuable intelligence and creating an ethical dilemma. Who gets to serve justice? How can law enforcement still function as a pillar of civil society? As the foundations of our government are questioned, the FBI and Department of Justice are the first responders to a crisis of democracy and law that threatens to spread, and fast.

In this work of extraordinary reportage, Ryan Reilly gets to know would-be revolutionaries, obsessive online sleuths, and FBI agents, and shines a light on a justice system that's straining to maintain order in our polarized country. From the moment the police barriers were breached on January 6th, 2021, Americans knew something had profoundly changed. Sedition Hunters is the fascinating, high-stakes story of what happens next.

Critic reviews

The definitive account of the massive, open-source effort to bring January 6 perpetrators to justice from the finest reporter on the beat.—Chris Hayes, bestselling author of A Colony in a Nation

In Sedition Hunters, Ryan Reilly has delivered in real time the untold tale of the network of patriots, outside and inside government, who are bringing January 6 traitors to justice. Reilly’s compelling storytelling evokes big-screen imagery throughout.—Jonathan Allen, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

Sedition Hunters expertly tells the story of the men and women who took it upon themselves to ensure there would be consequences for those who tried to overthrow our democracy on January 6. Fast paced, thorough, and sweeping, this book makes crystal clear the extent to which the responsibility of protecting our multiracial democracy falls to each of us as citizens.—Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of American Whitelash

Already the preeminent journalist chronicling the efforts to prosecute those who carried out the January 6 Capitol attack, Reilly astutely chronicles how everyday Americans became essential sleuths in the mission of federal law enforcement to seek justice for the nation after that terrible day. This book is thrilling, fascinating, and brilliant.—Yamiche Alcindor, NBC News

Reilly proves why he’s the country’s best journalist on this beat with a compelling, crisply paced, and deeply reported portrait of the fight for justice after January 6th. Sedition Hunters seamlessly weaves together fresh details, comprehensive insider accounts, and critical historical context—punctuated by occasional moments of wry humor.—Hallie Jackson, NBC News

Reilly debuts with a detailed and riveting report of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot that illuminates the work of a little-known cottage industry involved in the subsequent federal investigation: the “sedition hunters"...A crucial new window onto a historic event.—Publishers Weekly, starred review

January 6 will be with us forever.

Ryan’s work is amazing, and thank God for the Sedition Hunters.

Ryan’s reading of the book was enjoyable, even with the mispronunciation of words and mistakes. It made him even more endearing.

Thanks, Ryan!

Sleuths vs Seditionists

Book explains how the common man and woman using the internet shed the light of justice on the January 6th criminals.

Great listen!

Informative and insightful book. Clearly well researched. Looking forward to more from Ryan j Reilly!

A professional reader would have improved my overall experience.

Really love the book. However, the author’s high-pitched vocal tone and prominent slushy lisp take away from my overall experience. High-level content such as this deserves a professional reader to focus the listener on the material presented. Other than that - five stars all around.

All Americans should be grateful!

I liked the story of true patriots helping to ensure that the rule of law prevails over criminal behavior.

Surprisingly funny

I love that the writer was also the narrator- and that he has a sense of humor. It’s a fascinating story about the Sedition Hunters and restored a bit of my faith in people.

A solid overview of J6 investigations.

Not a perfect book, especially if you were expecting primarily an examination of “citizen investigators” and their methods, but a solid overview of their efforts, plus coverage of the conservative vs. MAGA divide within the FBI, and the impacts on J6 participants and their loved ones. As a book reader, Reilly impressed me by doing multiple voices (as required by the text), as well as “singing” to approximate an awkward MAGA performer. Only quibble as a narrator? “Lindbergh” becomes “Limbog” (Rush Limbaugh?) in this narration. You might think an editor with skill would’ve caught that before finalizing. That aside, a compelling look inside investigative efforts not broadly available.

Good read

Enjoyed the behind the scenes information re: how every day people helped the FBI. It’s amazing how far behind they are.

The words, "Trump Won".

I enjoyed hearing new facts that should begin to destroy the gaps of sociatal division that still impacts millions of lives and our democracy.
Sadly.. facts will never matter.

The dangers, Then and Now persist in waiting

It’s long and detailed and you listen and listen, like a repeating mantra that drones on and on. The message sinks in literally by force. A Never Forget paradigme.