Did the FBI cover up the bomb suspect's van to hide conservative stickers?

QUESTION:

Did the FBI cover up the bomb suspect's van to hide conservative stickers?

ANSWER:

Nope. Agents were trying to keep the van safe from contamination and secure any evidence.

SOURCES:

National Forensic Science Technology Center- Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide For Law Enforcement (2013)

Office of Justice Programs- Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement

Alex Whiting-Professor of Criminal Law- Harvard Law School

James Gagliano- Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent

PROCESS:

Developments in the package bomb attack has social media bursting with questions.

Lots of people began speculating that it was abnormal that FBI agents and law enforcement chose to cover the suspect's van with a blue tarp, after seeing the van plastered in pro-Trump and conservative stickers.

People were calling out the FBI for intentionally concealing information about the suspect's political affiliation.

Who decided that a tarp needed to mask the political expressions posted on this van? Why is this visible evidence of motivation kept under wraps? — Hal Corley (@Halcyon270) October 26, 2018

The FBI is covering up the suspect's van with a blue tarp. The van appears to be covered in political signs and hate stickers. We want to see what kind of message is on that van. https://t.co/CIou1UNjbf — 🌊Philoxenian🌊 (@L0NGH0RN57) October 26, 2018

Serious question: Why did @FBI cover the van top with a blue tarp? Was it politically sensitive or to preserve evidence? Optics? — Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. (@rkfatheree) October 26, 2018

Our researchers went straight to the experts,the National Forensic Science Technology Center in Florida and a criminal law expert at Harvard.

They confirm tarps are standard tools used to keep evidence from falling out of a vehicle. Wrapping it all in a tarp can help prevent contamination.

The National Forensic Science Technology Center at the Florida International University lists a tarp under "equipment needed," to "protect evidence from weather," and ensuring "evidence... be retained."

"That strikes me as completely standard to protect the integrity of the evidence," Alex Whiting, professor of criminal law at Harvard said. "They will likely examine the van for fingerprints, hair and fiber, and bomb residue."

Just to double check that those protocols are actually used in the field, we took it a step further and checked with retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent James Gagliano.

"That’s a standard process, I wouldn't read into any of it," Gagliano said. "If I was going to move the vehicle down the road I would probably put something over it to try and retain evidence."

He said covering the van is standard -- you don't want to compromise the evidence, like "soil on some tire grooves or latent hair," especially in Florida, where it's rainy.