3 U.S. Capitol Police officers suspended as investigations mount

WASHINGTON —  There are at least eight investigations into 17 U.S. Capitol Police officers related to the pro-Trump riot that left five dead last week, a House aide familiar with the investigations told CQ Roll Call.

Three Capitol Police officers are currently suspended with pay, the aide said, adding that it is unclear whether those suspensions are related to the eight investigations.

There are also investigations into social media posts and social media activity of Capitol Police officers.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), the chairman of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which funds the Capitol Police, told reporters Monday that he was briefed on two instances of conduct by Capitol Police officers that have resulted in suspensions.

“I don’t have any direct evidence of, as yet, of any kind of inside job,” Ryan said. “We do have a couple of Capitol Police we talked about before with taking selfies, and another ... Capitol Police [officer] evidently put on a MAGA hat. … They have been suspended.”

The details surrounding the suspensions were unclear, Ryan said.

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Jan. 9, 2021

The riot has raised many questions about how the mob was able to breach the heart of the U.S. government. It has led to the resignations of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, along with the sergeants-at-arms of the Senate and of the House, Michael Stenger and Paul D. Irving, respectively.

Sund left his job Friday evening, earlier than his initially announced Jan. 16 resignation date. Gus Papathanasiou, the department’s union head, called for the resignation of Yogananda Pittman, the acting Capitol Police chief, and of Assistant Chief Chad Thomas.

Ryan said last week that he supported the union’s call for their resignations, but intends to work with Pittman and Thomas through the inauguration.

Ryan, House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) and colleagues in the Senate have pledged to undertake a full review into what led to the security breach.