Senate Rules Committee investigation of failures on Jan 6 shows series of mistakes that exposed officers
Failure by Capitol Police intelligence division to convey warning that people were sharing maps of the Capitol on-line ahead of Jan 6
Senate report says some of the officers had to fight back against Insurrectionists in their daily uniforms, without riot gear or helmets
(The report reiterates a troubling finding from earlier this year - riot gear was locked in a bus nearby and officers couldn't get into it)
This passage in Senate investigation is striking: " Of USCP’s 1840 sworn officers, only approximately 160
are trained in advanced civil disturbance tactics & use of “hard” protective equipment. Fewer than ten are trained to use USCP’s full suite of less-than-lethal
munitions"
Senate report says US Capitol Police Board didn't understand how to call for help on Jan 6
Unacceptable
The board operates w/ NO transparency, no open meetings, no FOIA, no disclosure... yet appears not to know fully what it's doing. It oversees police dept w/ arrest power!
Dept of Defense sluggish response was "informed by criticism" it received for its response to racial justice protests in DC in June.. including low-hanging helicopter
This is painful to read. Especially for the families who live on Capitol Hill
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called the US Army Secretary at 134p to report things getting "out of control"
Pentagon finally deployed DC Natl Guard at 5:04p
Senate report on Jan 6 recommends Capitol Police improve preps of a "Quick Reaction Force" for special events
That's ironic.. because Oath Keepers are accused of detailed planning of their own Quick Reaction Force, staged w/ arms for 2nd wave if Trump invoked Insurrection Act
Senate report puts the failures of US Capitol Police leadership on Jan 6 in context
Agency has a ton of money
2021 funding: $515 million
Nearly as much as Washington DC Metropolitan Police, which have twice as many officers and enormous city & range of crimes to police
!! This passage from Senate investigation of Jan 6 is powerful. Very powerful!
A cook from the Senate carryout lunch counter brought water to officers on front lines to help them clear chemical spray from their eyes
And look what an officer reported finding in halls later ==>
Senate report says Capitol Police had intelligence on Dec. 21 about plans for far right groups to be in Wash DC Jan 6 with encrypted communication, targeting underground Capitol tunnels
And posts about "bringing guns", confront lawmakers & police "let them shoot first"
Senate report again underscores a big dispute. Acting Capitol Police chief says a Jan 3 special assessment warned of possible violence at Capitol & was shared w/ Capitol Police Board
Board member Brett Blanton says he doesn't remember getting it
**Both still have their jobs**
Despite statements from leadership that US Capitol Police was "all hands... on deck" on Jan 6..... new Senate review finds the department was NOT
Review finds only some of the force was on duty.. and somehow US Capitol Police can't account for who was deployed or posted where
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FLASH: Sen Thom Tillis (R-NC) is on Senate floor and he's about to make a motion for "unanimous consent" to expedite the hanging of the January 6th plaque at the Capitol
To honor the police heroes
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) speaks first: "In 2022, we passed a law .. saying we'd hang this plaque"
"I'm here to team up with my colleague from North Carolina to have a strategy to make sure we *do* have this plaque up"
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is now speaking. He recalls that he was on floor in Senate chamber on Jan 6.
Tillis says prior law requiring Jan 6 plaque had a "technical" issue that requires clarity. He says issue can be quickly cured
Some pardoned rioters are retracing their march from the Ellipse to the Capitol
Some victims are part of a 10am hearing organized by House Democrats
And: Anger, toxicity and confrontation continue to define Jan 6. Still.
Poltico Playbook on Jan 6 just now:
“Today D.C., and much of America, is deeply divided about what happened.
That lack of consensus represents a triumph, of sorts, for Donald Trump, and stands as testament to his unmatched ability both to reshape political narratives and to carry his supporters to extraordinary positions”
Injured DC police officer Dan Hodges says the Jan 6 denialism remains rampant
“Everything on January 6 occurred exactly as it appeared to. There’s no conspiracy here, there’s no, it wasn’t a “Fed-surrection”
NEW: House Speaker Mike Johnson – after two years of deflecting questions on the matter – is now arguing that the legally-required January 6 plaque must be re-considered
(more)
In a statement tonight, a spokesperson for Speaker Johnson says:
"As written, the statute authorizing this plaque is not implementable, and proposed alternatives devised by Democrat House staff, not members, also do not comply with the statute. If Democrats are serious about commemorating the work of USCP officers, they are free to work with the appropriate committees of jurisdiction to develop a framework for proper vetting and consideration, just as the House does for Congressional Gold Medals, commemorative gold coins, and similar ceremonial responsibilities”
Federal law required the Jan 6 plaque to be hung on Capitol grounds by March 2023
ALERT: House Judiciary Committee releases 250+ page transcript of its interview of Special Counsel Jack Smith
Smith testified: "January 6th was an attack on the structure of our democracy in which over 140 heroic law enforcement officers were assaulted. Over 160 individuals later pled guilty to assaulting police that day. Exploiting that violence, President Trump and his associates tried to call Members of Congress in furtherance of their criminal scheme, urging them to further delay certification of the 2020 election. I did not choose those Members, President Trump did"
(MORE)
Special Counsel Jack Smith interview w/ House Judiciary Committee (MORE)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): "You just made some pretty definitive statements about your belief that President Trump was guilty of these charges. Is that correct?"
Jack Smith: "Yes, I believe we had proof beyond a reasonable doubt in both cases"
Jordan: "And doesn't the Justice Manual prohibit prosecutors from asserting that a defendant is guilty of something before a jury makes a determination?"
Smith: "When a case is pending, yes."
When he was asked about other election disputes (including 2000 election), Jack Smith told House Judiciary Cmte:
"There is no historical analog for what President Trump did in this case. As we said in the indictment, he was free to say that he thought he won the election. He was even free to say falsely that he won the election"