Congressman Says At Least 2 Capitol Police Officers Suspended Over Complicity

Rep. Tim Ryan said Monday that at least two U.S. Capitol Police officers have been suspended over their complicity in last week’s insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

The Ohio Democrat held a virtual news conference in which he discussed updates related to the insurrection investigation and lawmakers’ efforts to impeach and remove the president, who incited the riot on Jan. 6. Ryan chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee on the legislative branch, which has oversight over the U.S. Capitol Police.

“We do have a couple of Capitol Police ― we’ve talked about before with taking selfies and another Capitol Police evidently put on a MAGA hat and was walking [rioters around], I’m not sure the details,” Ryan said. “They have been suspended.”

“The interim chief determined that to be immediately qualifying for suspension,” Ryan said. “I said, ‘You gotta let the press know about this. It’s important the American people know you’re cleaning house here.’”

When asked by reporters why law enforcement still has not given any updates or news conferences since the insurrection, the congressman said that he implored interim Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman on Monday morning to speak with the press in order to help increase transparency and rebuild trust.

“I was very clear to the interim chief this morning … that I think it is very important for her to have these kinds of communications with the press,” he said. “We have to begin to reestablish trust with the United States Capitol Police because of what happened, and so many members of Congress and society writ large here feel very betrayed and let down by what happened.”

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