Capitol Police officers expressed displeasure at the department’s top leaders with an overwhelming vote of no confidence after dozens of officers were injured, one officer died and two committed suicide following the January 6 attack on the Capitol by crowds of President Trump’s supporters.
The Labor Committee of the US Capitol Police Labor, the union representing thousands of US Capitol Police officers, announced that 92% of Capitol Police officers voted they had no confidence in acting chief Yogananda Pittman, and a significant majority voted. also no confidence in six other top leaders in the department.
The previous chief, Steven Sund, resigned under pressure when officials blamed him for January 6’s massive security vulnerabilities.
“The offers from Capitol Police have generated an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the senior leadership of the US Capitol Police,” the union said in a press release. The Executive Board of the Capitol Police Union called on ordinary members to consider a vote of no confidence late last week after senior leaders mishandled the uprising at the Capitol on Jan.6. The board took this unprecedented step after Evaluation Details of the events on and prior to January 6 and the subsequent deaths of 6 people, and injuries of approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers. ”
[O]our leadership has clearly failed us. We know because we were there, ‘union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said, according to the statement.
In late January, Pittman told members of Congress that on Jan. 4, the department knew that the Jan.wouldn’t be like any of the previous protests held in 2020. “
“We knew that militia groups and white supremacist organizations would be in attendance. We also knew that some of these attendees were planning to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. We knew there was great potential for violence and that Congress could target was., “said Pittman.
That the leadership team “knew what was to come, but did not prepare us better for possible violence, including the possible use of firearms against us, is unscrupulous,” union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement following Pittman’s testimony.
On Monday night, Pittman released a conciliatory statement in response to the vote of no confidence. “It’s been a little over a month since one of our country’s darkest days, and the trauma is still incredibly raw and difficult for the many officers who fought heroically on January 6. Since we were sworn in on January 8, my and I make the welfare of our officers our top priority, ”she said. “While progress has been made, more work remains. And I am committed to ensuring that every officer gets what he needs and deserves.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said it is time to pass more funding for Capitol security and for the safety of individual members. She is calling for an independent 9/11-style committee to review the security vulnerabilities on January 6.
– Rebecca Kaplan and Nikole Killion from CBS News contributed to this report.