• by Ray Schultz , January 11, 2021

Cogensia, a data analytics firm based in Schaumberg, Illinois, has fired its CEO Brad Rukstales after his arrest for allegedly participating in the unrest at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.  

Rukstales has been charged with entering the grounds without authority with “intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” according to NBC Chicago.  

The firing decision was made because “Rukstales' actions were inconsistent with the core values of Cogensia,” states Joel Schiltz, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Cogensia, who will now serve as acting CEO.

Schiltz adds, “Cogensia condemns what occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and we intend to continue to embrace the values of integrity, diversity and transparency in our business operations, and expect all employees to embrace those values as well.”

Rukstales reportedly tweeted that participating was "the single worst decision of my life."

He also stated that “in a moment of extremely poor judgment following the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, I followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside."

In a related development, Navistar Direct Marketing, a direct mail firm based in Frederick, Maryland, has fired an employee it says participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol earlier this week by pro-Trump groups, according to reports. 

The agency, which did not release the man’s name, said it recognized him from a picture distributed by the Washington, DC police. The man was wearing a company-name badge on a lanyard, and a Trump hat. 

The death toll from the event is now up to six, with the reported suicide of a police officer.