When armed members of the unit trusted with protecting our elected officials start lobbying said representatives, that is a cause for concern. Leadership within the United States Capitol Police, specifically incoming chief Thomas Manger, must prohibit, or at the very least strongly discourage, Capitol Police officers from attempting to exert undue influence on the policymaking process.
Capitol Police officers have one job: to protect legislators and ensure that they can represent the interests of their constituents free of bodily harm or physical coercion. By blurring the line between their duty as defenders and political activism, Capitol Police officers have eroded the legitimacy of their role and, perhaps unintentionally, further damaged the integrity of the country’s civic process.
Consider the anonymous statement, appearing on Capitol Police letterhead, that was sent to every member of Congress hours before a contentious vote on whether to establish a commission to investigate the riot that occurred on Jan. 6. The statement directly criticized Republicans for opposing the 9/11 style commission and urged representatives to support its creation in the coming vote.
According to the note, members of Congress only had the “privilege” of debating the commission’s merit “because the brave men and women of the USCP” had done their duty.
Here, the Capitol Police leveraged their position as guardians of the House and Senate for political purposes.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the statement a “ransom note,” arguing that Capitol Police officers taking a position on pending legislation presented a clear and dangerous conflict of interests. Carlson went as far as to characterize the attempted lobbying as an “implied threat.”
When the people tasked with protecting members of Congress demand that they vote a certain way, it obviously puts them in an uncomfortable position. Many elected officials are still shaken by the events of Jan. 6 and thus more dependent than ever on the Capitol Police for peace of mind.
CNN confirmed that the letter was, in fact, written by a member of the Capitol Police. When questioned by the outlet, the author of the note claimed its contents represented the views of 40 to 50 additional officers. The Capitol Police force includes more than 2,300 officers.
Anonymous letters on the eve of consequential votes are far from the only political activities recently undertaken by the Capitol Police. Some officers, notably Harry Dunn, have met directly with members of Congress to advocate for what they perceive to be the interests of the Capitol Police. One reportedly engaged in similar meetings with a gun on his hip and his badge on his chest.
These developments are disturbing on their own, but the recent efforts by the Capitol Police to expand its power and influence beyond its mission, such as the move to open field offices in California and Florida, further exacerbates concerns.
Manger must rein in his officers. Members of the Capitol Police politically pressuring the lawmakers who depend on them for safety is an affront to the principles of the republic they swore to protect. Guarding Congress and lobbying it should be mutually exclusive activities.
