The vote totals differ for each boss, but each of the seven – acting chief Yoganada Pittman, two assistant chiefs, three deputy chiefs and a captain in the division manning the Capitol Building – found that they did not have the confidence of rank-and-roll officers. if, according to two sources who shared the vote totals with CNN.
Voting on the question began Thursday afternoon and lasted 24 hours before votes were tabled, giving officers the chance to vote at work on three shifts. Voting was limited to members represented by the union representing officials.
Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the union, declined to comment Friday night.
“It’s just over a month since one of the darkest days of our country, and the trauma is still incredibly raw and difficult for the many officers who fought heroically on the 6th,” Pittman said in a statement. “Since I was sworn in on January 8, my executive team and I have made the well-being of our officers a top priority. Although progress has been made, there is still more work to be done.”
The vote comes after officials recently told CNN that intelligence and operational failures had left them vulnerable to the January 6 attack and said they were concerned that the current leadership was unable to manage future incidents.
Officials described the unrest to CNN, both on the day of the uprising and in the weeks that followed.
Former Chief Steven Sund resigned after the uprising. The Sergeants Arms for the U.S. House and Senate, each overseeing the department, also resigned.
After the union scheduled a no-confidence vote, officers’ cries about the timing forced the union to postpone a vote until this week. It was planned for the same week that Sicknick lay in honor at the Capitol.
A vote of no confidence is one of the most contradictory actions the union can take to express dissatisfaction with leadership. The move indicates USCP officers’ deep frustrations about management and sends the loudest messages officers can issue as a united group.
According to an email sent to CNN members late Tuesday, Pittman told officers the voice illustrates “the sentiment and concerns of some of our officers”.
“We all know how difficult the struggle and sacrifice can be for ourselves and our loved ones,” she wrote. “During these difficult times, it is important to remember that we are also a family. We are more united versus divided.”