Chair of House committee that has oversight of Capitol Police demands answers about protection for members of Congress
By Zachary Cohen and Jamie Gangel, CNNUpdated: Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:50:57 GMTSource: CNNRep. Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, is requesting additional information from US
By Zachary Cohen and Jamie Gangel, CNNUpdated: Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:50:57 GMT
Source: CNN
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, is requesting additional information from US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger about the protection for congressional lawmakers following the break-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home, according to a new letter obtained by CNN.
In her Tuesday letter to Manger, Lofgren, a Democrat, says that "the incident and related circumstances, including the manner in which the Speaker and her family were targeted, raise significant questions about security protections for Members of Congress, particularly those in the presidential line of succession."
The letter comes as lawmakers are raising additional concerns about their safety, as well as the safety of their families, after the break-in at Pelosi's home -- which the San Francisco district attorney and law enforcement officers involved in the investigation have said appears to be political in nature.
A recent court filing revealed that the man accused of violently attacking Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told authorities he was on a "suicide mission" and had plans to target other public officials.
Lofgren specifically requests information about USCP's strategic planning for the protection of members and their families, including the department's coordination with other law enforcement agencies like the FBI and local police departments.
Among the questions raised in the letter is whether USCP and the San Francisco Police Department accepted offers from the FBI to help with security.
"Has the USCP adopted a written strategic plan, including any short- and long-term benchmarks, goals, or objectives; any codified policy directives; and/or any standard operating procedures for officers to be detailed to proposed regional or field offices? If so, please provide these documents to the Committee. If not, why has the Department not developed such plans or policies?" she wrote.
"With regard to any codified strategic plan, policy directives, and/or any standard operating procedures for officers to be detailed to field offices, were those followed by the Department and personnel in the San Francisco field office with respect to the October 28 attack? If not, why not?"
The lack of security at Pelosi's home has raised significant questions about the lack of security at her San Francisco home and the law enforcement response after her husband, Paul, managed to call 911.
CNN previously reported that US Capitol Police first learned of the break-in about 10 minutes after the incident when an officer noticed police lights and sirens on a live camera feed in the Capitol Police's Washington, DC, command center, according to a source briefed on the attack.
There may be video of the break-in that US Capitol Police and law enforcement could review as there are security cameras at the home, two law enforcement sources also told CNN.
In her letter to Manger, Lofgren asks why the San Francisco Police Department was not protecting the Pelosi's home.
CNN previously reported that the San Francisco Police Department had stopped regularly posting a patrol car outside Pelosi's house last year, according to two additional sources.
Lofgren also notes that her committee was briefed by USCP and House Sergeant at Arms on December 9, 2020 -- weeks before the January 6, 2021, insurrection -- about "heightened threats" to members of Congress, including specifically the speaker of the House.
Those "increased threats" required "the physical placement of officers in specific locations," Lofgren notes.
"In conjunction with that briefing, the Committee requested that the Department provide its documentation for the proposal, including a strategic plan, including any short- and long-term benchmarks, goals, or objectives; any codified policy directives; and any standard operating procedures (SOPs) for officers to be detailed to proposed regional or field offices in San Francisco, California, and Tampa, Florida," she added.
