Capitol Police officers reportedly write anonymous letter expressing 'profound disappointment' at GOP opposition to Jan. 6 commission

published 19 May 2021

Members of the Capitol Police on Wednesday reportedly sent an anonymous letter to members of Congress expressing their "profound disappointment" with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for not supporting House Democrats' proposal for a Jan. 6 commission. Capitol Police officers, of course, were in the middle of the worst of the riot that day, tasked with protecting lawmakers as the pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.

The letter is not an official statement from the Capitol Police, and a spokesperson said the agency does not know who specifically sent it. It's also unclear how many members may have been involved, and the Capitol Police said it can't confirm the letter was actually authored by any officers. But Rep. Jamie Raskin's (D-Md.) office said those who endorsed the letter preferred to remain anonymous "because they are afraid of retribution for speaking out," while the letter itself said they did so because "we are expected to remain neutral and do our jobs with honor and integrity."

As for content, the letter says "we would hope that the members whom we took an oath to protect, would at the very minimum, support an investigation to get to the bottom of everyone responsible and hold them 100 percent accountable no matter the title or position they hold or held," adding that it's "inconceivable" any lawmakers "would downplay" the Capitol riot and "unconscionable" that anyone would suggest "we need to move forward or get over it."

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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