House Democrats Wonder If Capitol Attack Was An ‘Inside Job’

Some House Democrats are now wondering if the Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on January 6th might have had inside help – from some members of the Capitol Police.

According to Politico, while many have praised Capitol Police for their efforts, “videos have also surfaced showing a small number of officers pulling down barricades for the rioters and, in another instance, stopping for a photo with one of them.”

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Did The Rioters Have Help?

On Friday, House Democrats had a call to discuss the possibility that rioters might have had some sort of inside help.

According to two lawmakers on the call, Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford said that he thought the riots were “an inside job.”

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn wondered how looters had found their way to his unmarked, third floor office to steal his iPad.

According to others on the call, Democrat Congresswoman Linda Sanchez wondered if there had been collusion with Capitol Police officers.

Democrat Jayapal: ‘A Very Well-Coordinated Plan’

Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said in an interview Sunday that she believes some Capitol Police officers aided the rioters and that it was “one of the most troubling things” about the attack.

Jayapal told Gray TV’s “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren,” “I am very sad to say that I believe that there were people within the Capitol police and within the Capitol building that were part of helping these insurrectionists to really have a very well-coordinated plan for when they were going to come, how they were going to come.”

When Jayapal was asked if some Capitol Police officers were actually involved, the Democrat replied, “It appears that way, both from what happened, how coordinated it was, how easy it was.”

Democrat Maxine Waters wondered during a recent radio interview if some Capitol Police failures were the result of “poor planning or whether it was because there was certain kinds of infiltration.”

Democrats continued to wonder how some of those who infiltrated Congress seemed to navigate it so well.

Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, who was hunkered down in the chambers during the attack, said, “Somebody must get to the bottom of how they, with such efficiency and such alacrity, moved themselves in mobs into [Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s] office. Into the whip’s third-floor office.” 

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‘Reconassaince Missions?’

According to CNN, Democrat Mikie Sherrill claimed that Republican Congressmen brought in rioters the day before the protests to do “reconnaissance” of the building. 

Sherill said there were “members of Congress who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on January 5th for reconnaissance for the next day.”

Her office refused to give CNN any further details on her claim.

Dems Want More Capitol Police Oversight

“We all joke about the fact that it’s so hard to find some of these offices, and we work in the building,” Dean added.

“I saw those videos,” said Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan on Friday. “You had people fighting their hearts out and getting hit over the head with a lead pipe … and you had people taking selfies with these terrorists.”

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“So there are all of these different levels and we will be examining all of the footage,” Ryan added.

Democratic Congressman Anthony Brown said independent oversight was needed for the Capitol Police force.

“The Capitol Police are probably the only law enforcement agency I can think of that does not have non-uniform civilian oversight,” Brown said on Friday. “That’s a problem.”