US Capitol riot
Riots at the US Capitol Building.
Michael Nigro/Pacific Press:LightRocket/Getty
  • Some employees who took part in the storming of the US Capitol Wednesday were fired by their employers after posting pictures and videos of the event on social media.
  • Goosehead Insurance tweeted its associate general counsel “is no longer employed” by the company after he posted on Instagram that he had been tear gassed at the Capitol.
  • A real estate agent in Chicago was fired by her employer after posting a picture on Facebook of her celebrating with a glass of champagne after the insurrection.
  • A former Republican state lawmaker, a Chicago tech CEO, and an employee from a Maryland marketing company were also among those to be terminated.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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

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

Business leaders spoke up about the violence in Washington, condemning it “sad and shameful.” But others who have seen their employees participating in the riots on social media have taken matters into their own hands.

Goosehead Insurance announced Thursday that Paul Davis, an associate general counsel, was no longer working at the Texas-based company. Davis, wearing a red cap with the words “make America great again,” had posted on Instagram that he was peacefully demonstrating in Washington and had later been tear gassed.

In an email to staff 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 her in the pro-Trump mob, as well as drinking a glass of champagne with the caption: "After storming the Capitol a good glass of champagne is needed!"

She was later fired by her employer, @properties, which had "a tremendous amount of outreach regarding the actions of one of our agents, Libby Andrews," according to its Facebook post Thursday.

"@properties is 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 posted on Facebook.

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."

The mother-of-three said she climbed the steps of the Capitol without pushing past police officers, posted selfies on Instagram, sung the national anthem and then moved on. 

Other Trump supporters that were caught taking part in the storming decided to hand in their resignations.

Former Republican state lawmaker Rick Saccone who worked as a professor at Pennsylvania's Saint Village College 

"As a result of that investigation, the individual has submitted and we have accepted his letter of resignation, effective immediately," the president of the college said in a statement. "This individual will no longer be associated with Saint Vincent College in any capacity."

In a Facebook post which 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?"

A Maryland marketing company also said it terminated an employee after seeing photos of him wearing his work lanyard inside the US Capitol on Wednesday. 

Navistar Direct Marketing said in a statement that the employee, who hasn't been named was "terminated for cause" after the company saw photos of him wearing a Trump hat and hoodie, and carrying a flag that said "Trump is my president" around the Capitol building.

Chicago tech CEO, Bradley F Rukstales from Inverness, Illinois, was arrested and charged with unlawful entry for entering the US Capitol building in the siege.

Cogensia, a marketing data company in Illinois, have placed Rukstales on a leave of absence while they "assess further," the company said in a tweet.

 

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. The rioters who are found could be charged with federal crimes.

Five people died in the riots, including a Capitol police officer who sustained injuries while responding to the pro-Trump mob. Lawmakers were forced to retreat from the Senate chamber as police officers were overwhelmed but hours later, they regained control of the building and Biden's win was certified at around 3.45 a.m. on Thursday morning.

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