Pelosi's selection to lead Capitol security review says police are 'complicit,' as six are suspended
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, assigned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to conduct a security review of the U.S. Capitol Building says Capitol Police and the House and Senate's sergeants at arms were "complicit" in the Jan. 6 breach.
Now, six Capitol Police officers have been suspended and 29 have been placed under investigation for their actions during the breach, according to the department.
"They were either that stupid or ignorant, or they were complicit. I think they were complicit," Honoré recently said on MSNBC. He also described the Capitol Police force on a separate occasion as "40% Trumpsters," whom he said "gave way" to those who breached the Capitol.
Pelosi last month named Honoré to lead the security review and in recent days said he would continue such efforts in her proposed independent, congressional commission to investigate the breach.
"For the past few weeks, General Honoré has been assessing our security needs by reviewing what happened on January 6 and how we must ensure that it does not happen again. He has been working with Committees of Jurisdiction and will continue to make proposals," the speaker wrote in a letter to her Democrat colleagues.
One suspended officer allegedly wore a "Make America Great Again" hat and began directing intruders around the Capitol complex. Another took a selfie with a member of the crowd, according to Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.
Last month, U.S. Capitol Police confirmed it had been "actively reviewing video and other open source materials of some USCP officers and officials who appeared to be in violation of department regulations and policies."
Pelosi's selection of Honoré to lead this investigation has been criticized by some Republicans lawmakers and conservative voices
"General Honoré is an extreme partisan and should be the LAST person to head up an investigation of what happened at the Capitol on Jan 6th," tweeted Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron. Johnson.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson reviewed some footage of Honoré's recent comments about the Capitol Police on his show and said, "Speaking of misinformation and conspiracy theories, there's no evidence for any of that. It's all made up. It's crazy."
After the breech Honoré also publicly called for the firing of the congressional sergeants at arms and accusing the Capitol Police of complicity in the incident, beyond what he said on MSNBC.
"There's people inside the chain of command of the Capitol Police that allowed this to happen," he said on the "Daily Digital Show the day after the breach. "They selectively applied the law and they allowed their buddies in yesterday and they destroyed a good portion of our house. People need to go to jail."