The Maryland Republican Party confirmed Ayala’s resignation.
“The MDGOP believes in the 1st Amendment and the American principle of innocent until proven guilty,” said state GOP Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris. “That said, Mr. Ayala has chosen to resign because he believes that the 2024 election process and the State Electoral Board are extremely important and should not be confused with distraction.”
Maryland Matters first reported Ayala’s resignation came Thursday morning after his arrest on Tuesday.
In the video of the incident, which was released earlier in connection with the events of January 6, it is shown that the police took Ayala’s flag from the window and went to the fire door. As the protesters continue to enter, the video shows an officer blocking the door with a police shield and taking the black flag, ripping off the PVC pipe flagpole it was attached to. Seconds later, the crowd force the door open and a PVC pipe flies into the police line. Although the flag was identical to the one held seconds earlier by the man identified as Ayala, the CCTV video does not clearly show who threw the flagpole.
Minutes later, at 2:51 p.m., police body-worn camera video shows Ayala no longer holding a flag or flagpole, according to police.
“Join us!” Ayala allegedly says after approaching the police line.
Ayala was with two people identified as “Witness 1” and “Witness 2”; One of those witnesses provided the FBI with video from the day of an exchange before Ayala approached the broken windows, according to the FBI.
“Carlos, have you agreed that we will run if we hear gunfire?” one of his friends says in the video.
“Which way, right or away?” Ayala answers.
More than 1,200 people have been indicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and nearly 900 have been convicted on charges ranging from unlawful parading to seditious conspiracy. Hundreds of additional rioters have been identified but not yet arrested by the FBI, and federal officials noted last week on the third anniversary of the attack that “points” additional cases are ready.