One of the leading candidates in a tight Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania can be seen marching with a large group of people in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 in photos that emerged this weekend.
Kathy Barnette, who in recent polls has gained momentum in the crowded field of seven candidates seeking the nomination in the May 17 primary, is marching among a crowd of former President Trump's supporters, including at least one member of a violent, far-right group called the Proud Boys, according to two photos that have been verified by NBC News.
Barnette is the first candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania to have been confirmed at the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" protests, which eventually led to an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as Congress validated President Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election two years ago.
A candidate in Pennsylvania's Republican primary for governor, Doug Mastriano, was also in Washington, D.C. for the protests. Mastriano, a state senator from central Pennsylvania, is the current frontrunner for the Republican nomination in tomorrow's primary.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Barnette's campaign told NBC News that she did not participate in any of the violence that broke out at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
"Kathy was in DC to support President Trump and demand election accountability. Any assertion that she participated in or supported the destruction of property is intentionally false. She has no connection whatsoever to the Proud Boys," the campaign told NBC News.
The photos were first published on Twitter by Chad Loder.
Barnette's attendance at the Jan. 6 protests has been previously reported, and NBC10 asked Barnette about her involvement during an interview last month. That full interview can be found at this link, and in the video player at the top of this story. A clip from the interview with her response to her attendance at the protests is here:
