Capitol police issue damning statement on GOP objection to riot commission

Officers say it is ‘unconscionable’ for Republican leadership to oppose 9/11-style bipartisan inquiry into 6 January assault

As the House of Representatives debates a measure to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection, a group of US Capitol Police officers expressed “profound disappointment” in Republican opposition to the proposal.

“The brave men and women of USCP were subjected to hours and hours of physical trauma which has led to months of mental anguish,” according to a letter addressed to members of Congress. “We would hope that members whom we took an oath to protect would at the very minimum support an investigation to get to the bottom of EVERYONE responsible.”

A statement from US Capitol Police stressed that the letter “is NOT an official USCP statement.” The agency does not take positions on legislation.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former president Donald Trump, among other Republican officials, have opposed a bipartisan measure to create the commission, which would study the events surrounding and during the riot inside the halls of Congress, fuelled by a false “stolen” election narrative in an attempt to undermine the results.

“With each passing week, a new revelation about [the insurrection] reveals itself ... it is unconscionable to even think anyone could suggest we need to move forward and get over it,” the letter says. “Unfortunately, this letter comes to you anonymously because as US Capitol Police officers, we are expected to remain neutral and do our jobs with honour and integrity. It’s unfortunate that our ‘bosses’ (Congress) are not held to the same standard that we, the USCP, are.”

The letter follows a statement from the family of US Capitol Police officer Howie Liebengood supporting the formation of the commission.

The family of Mr Liebengood, who died by suicide in the days after the riot, said in a statement that “we believe a thorough, non-partisan investigation into the root causes of and the response” to the insurrection “is essential for our nation to move forward.”

“Howie’s death was an immediate outgrowth of those events,” the statement says. “Every officer who worked that day, as well as their families, should have a better understanding of what happened.”

Another officer, Jeffrey Smith, killed himself in the days after the attack. A day after the attack, Officer Brian Sicknick died from a stroke and injuries sustained during the riot.

More than 140 officers were injured in the attack, according to the Capitol police union.

Despite the bipartisan makeup on the proposed 10-member commission, and an opaque timeline and understanding of what the administration and law enforcement knew leading up to and during the assault four months later, Republican lawmakers have rejected the proposal and deflected to accusing Democrats of ignoring protest violence in US cities in 2020.

Democratic officials have suggested that the GOP fears an inquiry will reveal Republicans’ culpability, as the former president continues to falsely insist that the election was “stolen” from him and his supporters.