WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The Inspector General for the U.S. Capitol Police (UCSP) has launched an investigation into allegations of improper surveillance by the law enforcement agency.
The Federalist reported on the investigation on February 8.
The investigation began after Congressman Troy Nehls (R-TX) said two police officers entered his office without his permission, while his staff were gone, and photographed a whiteboard that had notes from meetings with his team.
Maybe it is because I have been a vocal critic of @SpeakerPelosi, the @January6thCmte, and @CapitolPolice leadership about their handling of January 6th, the death of Ashli Babbitt and the subsequent SHAM investigation.
— Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) February 8, 2022
Congressman Nehls said intelligence analysts with UCSP “investigated my office illegally, and one of my staffers caught them in the act.”
“On November 20th, 2021, Capitol Police entered my office without my knowledge and photographed confidential legislative products protected by the Speech and Debate clause enshrined in the Constitution, Article 1 Section 6,” Nehls wrote.
“Two days later on Monday November 22, 2021 (Thanksgiving week), three intelligence officers attempted to enter my office while the House was in recess,” he continued.
“Upon discovering a member of my staff, special agents dressed like construction workers began to question him as to the contents of a photograph taken illegally two days earlier. They had no authority to photograph my office, let alone investigate myself or members of my staff. So, why is the Capitol Police Leadership maliciously investigating me in an attempt to destroy me and my character?”
Nehls suggested it is because he has been a vocal critical of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Select Committee investigating the violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and of the UCSPs role in shooting and killing Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt. The Congressman has questioned why UCSP officer Michael Byrd, who shot and killed Babbitt, did not even face a grand jury over the allegations he acted improperly. Nehls is a former law enforcement officer himself.
The Congressman joined Tucker Carlson’s show Tuesday to warn about the situation with the Capitol Police.
“I believe that Nancy Pelosi is weaponizing the U.S. Capitol Police to investigate me, to try to silence me, intimidate me, and quite honestly destroy me,” Nehls said.
“I hope you get every one of these cretins fired,” Carlson said to end the segment.
The UCSP denies wrongdoing.
“The United States Capitol Police is sworn to protect Members of Congress. If a Member’s office is left open and unsecured, without anyone inside the office, USCP officers are directed to document that and secure the office to ensure nobody can wander in and steal or do anything else nefarious,” Chief Tom Manger said in a February 8 statement.
“The weekend before Thanksgiving, one of our vigilant officers spotted the Congressman’s door was wide open. That Monday, USCP personnel personally followed up with the Congressman’s staff and determined no investigation or further action of any kind was needed. No case investigation was ever initiated or conducted into the Representative or his staff,” Manger said.
UCSP has surveilled members, constituents before
Nevertheless, this is not the first time concerns have been raised about Capitol Police tactics.
The Capitol Police have previously said that they have examined the social media feeds and backgrounds of people coming to visit Congressional representatives.
“The more public information we have, the better we can understand what kind and how much security is necessary,” the department told Politico in January. The article reported that intelligence analysts with UCSP have raised concerns about the propriety of such surveillance.