Three FBI agents visited the home of Shekinah Hollingsworth on Friday, February 12, to interrogate her about her actions on January 6. Hollingsworth was not part of what is being called the “Capitol Siege,” and left the area before the civil unrest began, but was still subject to over 20 minutes of questioning from the FBI.
Hollingsworth, who has announced her candidate to become a State Delegate in Maryland, began recording video of the interaction with FBI agents when they visited her Maryland home. Her father, a U.S. military veteran who traveled to Washington, D.C. with her, and other family members were present for the recording.
While the female FBI agent began the interview asking disarming questions about the family’s fish and dog, the tone abruptly changed when one of the male FBI agent began asking questions. The man proceeded to conduct most of the interview, while the female took notes, and the third man remained mostly silent.
“Okay, like I said on the phone, your name got submitted,” said the agent. “You’re not in trouble right now, if you were going to get arrested, we would have already done it.”
Hollingsworth’s father explained that they completely left the area to eat lunch, and were at a nearby Shake Shack when they were called by other family members to ask about their safety. They did not know the civil unrest was happening when they were contacted.
“Are you guys, like, affiliated with any group,” the FBI agent asked, seemingly suggesting the Hollingsworth family may have ties to domestic terrorism. Hollingsworth told the FBI she is not affiliated with any such group.
“Did either one of you guys go into the Capitol,” asked the agent, prompting a quick negative response from both Hollingsworths who traveled to Washington, D.C. on January 6. “Do you know approximately how far you were,” the agent proceeded to ask.
The FBI agent then declared that he has received numerous photos of Hollingsworth in Washington, D.C. on January 6, and demanded to know where the photos were taken and when.
“When we were on the Capitol grounds,” said Hollingsworth, “Children were taking pictures,” and families were there. She explained, again, that they left before any civil unrest began.
The FBI agent eventually returned to a line of questioning about whether Hollingsworth has affiliations with “terrorist organizations”, which Hollingsworth naturally declined.
Then, the FBI agent then asked about Hollingsworth’s candidacy for the Maryland legislature, and proceeded to admit he had knowledge of her history as a Republican activist. Prior to running for office, Hollingsworth has worked in Republican politics since 2017. Most recently, she worked as a data analyst for Lauren Witzke’s bid for U.S. Senate in Delaware.
After Hollingsworth stated her belief that the civil unrest that occurred on January 6 was not part of an organized event, the FBI agent again brought up terrorist organizations.
“We trace down the leads that come in, and, like, we have to convince people, we want to make sure there was nothing more sinister, we want to make sure this isn’t, like, some sort of planned event by some sort of domestic terrorism organization,” said the FBI agent. “This is like you’re opportunity [to confess], if you’re, like, ‘Hey, we did do this or that,’ now is the time to say it, because we’re probably going to find out.”
Hollingsworth again denied going into the U.S. Capitol, or committing any other crimes on January 6. After recording the name and date of birth of her father, the agents left. The interview lasted just over 20 minutes.
Hollingsworth told National File she believes the visit was politically motivated, and meant to dissuade her from continuing her America First political campaign. “I think I held my own pretty well,” Hollingsworth told National File, “But these witch hunts are definitely out of line.”