A former top Capitol law enforcement official with awareness of the department’s reaction to the Jan. 6 attack has written a blistering letter to members of Congress.
The letter is accusing two of the agency’s senior commanders of mishandling data and failing to respond appropriately during the incident.
Police were Unprepared or Didn’t Respond on Purpose
The informant (who asked to remain anonymous for confidentiality reasons and left the force shortly after the incident) delivered the 16-page letter to the House and Senate’s leading members later in September.
Sean Gallagher (the Capitol Police’s interim chief of uniformed activities) and Yogananda Pittman (the Capitol Police’s deputy chief of police for protection and intelligence activities) are named in his letter.
Gallagher and Pittman are accused by the whistleblower of purposefully refusing to assist police facing an assault on January 6. Furthermore, Pittman is accused of lying to Congress about an intelligence report Capitol Police obtained before the violence.
On January 6, the whistleblower was a senior government official on duty after a long career with the department.
Facebook whistleblower to accuse company of fueling Jan. 6 Capitol riot https://t.co/dyjKD7sqii pic.twitter.com/R918eWJpo1
— New York Post (@nypost) October 3, 2021
The whistleblower’s complaints reached Congress, as well as Capitol Police leaders. His statement criticizes members of Congress for “purposefully failing” to communicate the truth about the agency’s inadequacies without naming individual members.
Politico acquired and is publishing excerpts of a letter describing the claims travelling among Capitol Police personnel. Politico will not publish the entire letter in order to protect the identity of the whistleblower.
“While many representatives of the congressional group (including those who have made choices about the governance of the USCP after January 6th) may appreciate the truth less than politicians, I think the truth still counts to real people, including the men and women of the US Capitol Police,” the leaker wrote.
EXCLU We got a USCP whistleblower letter – w/ @dlippman https://t.co/zJ8sm6S2w9
— Betsy Woodruff Swan (@woodruffbets) October 8, 2021
Police Insist Things Have Changed
In reference to the letter, a Capitol Police representative issued a reply: “A lot of things have changed since January 6. Despite the fact there is still work to be done, many of the issues raised in the letter have been addressed.”
The agency has adopted and is continuing to execute many of the essential suggestions called for during a Senate investigation into January 6. This is per a separate study led by retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré and various investigations by its own inspector general, according to the spokeswoman.
According to the Capitol Police spokeswoman, “the email from the former staffer echoes the thoughtful suggestions in both reports. Under the leadership of incoming Chief Tom Manger, USCP leaders are dedicated to learning from previous mistakes and safeguarding our courageous officers who battled valiantly on January 6.”
“[That way,] we can keep carrying out the department’s essential duty. This department’s men and women are dedicated to achieving that goal. Our goal is to work together as a team to push forward and develop work that ensures the safety of the US Capitol and the individuals who work here.”
