U.S. Capitol Police whistleblower alleges leadership failures on January 6

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The 16-page letter, obtained by CNN and first reported by Politico, claims that two Capitol Hill police officials – Deputy Chief Yogananda Pittman and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Gallagher – did not share information vital with other police leaders and did not act to help officers. after the violence began on January 6, but saw no consequences in the months that followed. The letter, dated September 28, is addressed to leaders of the US House and Senate.

The whistleblower said he was a former high-ranking officer with more than 30 years of service in the department who was working there at the time of the attack.

Some of the allegations in the letter reflect criticisms contained in the reports of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Inspector General. But the letter is aimed specifically at the department’s leadership – and accuses some congressional leaders of “deliberately failing” to tell the truth about the department’s failures.

The alleged failures of Pittman and Gallagher, the former head of the department wrote, have been “marginalized, overlooked by investigation, categorically underreported and without accountability. responsible for the largest intelligence failure in US Capitol Police history is staggering. “

The former head of the department alleges the couple did not share intelligence information with the department that would have “changed the paradigm of that day” and that during the attack, “they did not try to help or assist as officers and officials were literally fighting for each other, their lives and Congress. “

“What I observed was that most of them were sitting there staring blankly at television screens showing real-time footage of officers and officials fighting for Congress and their lives. “said the former head of the department, who said they were in the command center during part of the attack,” wrote.

A law enforcement source defended Pittman and Gallagher to CNN, saying they did not fail to act, but instead focused on protecting lawmakers, who were all evacuated without danger.

Still, the letter highlighted how the Capitol Police Department continues to fight the fallout from the January 6 insurgency more than nine months after the attack. The sheer shock of the event and the criticism of the department that followed led the department to make swift changes, such as base officers who now receive daily intelligence alerts on their cellphones.

The Capitol Police executive team, which includes Pittman and Gallagher, said in a statement to CNN that “a lot has changed since January 6” and although “there is still work to be done, many problems described in the letter have been resolved. ”

“The leaders of the USCP, under the leadership of new chief Tom Manger, are committed to learning from past mistakes and to protecting our courageous officers, who fought valiantly on January 6, so that we can continue to lead. to the critical mission of the department, “the statement said.

“The men and women of this department are committed to this essential mission. Our goal is to work as a team, to move forward, and to advance the work that keeps the United States Capitol and the United States secure. people who work there. “

Pittman and Gallagher were both among the main leaders of the force who received a vote of no confidence from members of the department a month after the attack.

A vote of no confidence was one of the most accusatory actions the union could take to express its displeasure with management. This decision signified the deep frustrations of USCP agents with management and sent the strongest message that agents can send as a unified group.

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