WASHINGTON-House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) today blasted Acting Chief of the United States Capitol Police Yogananda Pittman for refusing to testify at tomorrow’s oversight hearing on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“If Democrats really wanted answers, they would have invited Acting Chief Pittman to testify at one of their two hearings on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Instead, they left it to Committee Republicans to invite the acting chief, which we did. However, the acting chief is refusing to testify, and Committee Democrats have shown no inclination to compel her testimony. It appears Democrats are only interested in hearing from witnesses who they think fit their narrative about the events of January 6. They are forging ahead with another partisan show hearing that is unlikely to unearth any new information.
“Acting Chief Pittman served as the head of the Capitol Police’s Protective and Intelligence Operations unit on January 6, and given last week’s bipartisan Senate report outlining her performance, her testimony is essential to understanding the intelligence breakdown leading up to the attack and to help prevent a similar attack from happening in the future. Acting Chief Pittman’s excuse for not showing up is pathetic: she claims she must watch another hearing where the Capitol Police Inspector General is testifying in case she has to respond in some way to what’s said at that hearing. Acting Chief Pittman is declining to testify to avoid answering the hard questions. The American people deserve answers about the attack on the U.S. Capitol and expect transparency and accountability from their leaders. Instead of conducing legitimate oversight to unearth facts for the American people, Democrats are only interested in politicizing the attack."
Tomorrow’s House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing is the second hearing about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol where Democrats refused to invite a U.S. Capitol Police witness on their own. Republicans requested Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) invite Acting Chief Pittman to testify at the hearing last Monday, but it took her 48 hours before sending a formal request.
