An information gap following the attack on Capitol feared members of Congress feared it was an internal job involving Capitol police.
Why it matters: The mass resignations by the Capitol police chief and the weapons sergeant, along with few briefings by federal officials such as the FBI, left important questions unanswered and a lone Ohio Democratic congressman trying to fill in the gaps .
Rep. Tim Ryan, chair of a subcommittee on home loans overseeing Capitol police, held three virtual briefings to update reporters.
- On Monday, he shared the shocking news that two police officers in Capitol had been suspended and that 10-15 were being investigated for their behavior during the riot.
- “One was the selfie officer, and another an officer who put on a MAGA hat and started guiding people around,” Ryan said.
- There has been no official Capitol police briefing or press conference since the attack.
A Democratic House Assistant told Axios that members, among others, during their weekly caucus call this afternoon ‘expressed a great deal of anger and frustration over failures in national security’.
- Rep. Jim Clyburn (DS.C.) said Friday something “unfavorable” happened after rioters apparently went to look for him at an unmarked office, separate from his main venue in the Statuary Hall with his name on it.
The background: Ryan and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) Announced last Thursday that the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which funds Capitol police, is actively investigating what happened.
- They held several hearings and calls with law enforcement and military officials while working on a short timeline to get more responses and implement changes / reforms for the inauguration.
The conclusion: The uncertainty comes as the clock ticks after the election of President Joe Biden in nine days.