On Tuesday, the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversightheld a hearingtitled, “Oversight of United States Capitol Security: Assessing Security Failures on January 6, 2021.”
Rep. Barry Loudermilk heads the subcommittee. Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund testified before the committee.
Chief Steven Sund has been outspoken of Nancy Pelosi and her failures to secure the US Capitol that day.
It has been widely reported that President Trump asked for the National Guardthree days in advanceof January 6. But Pelosi turned him down. She refused to call in the National Guard despite numerous warnings of possible violence.
Chief Sund:That would be Paul Irving.
Rep. Steil:And the House Sergeant Arms is appointed. By who?
Chief Sund:He was appointed at that time by Speaker Pelosi.
Rep. Steil:And in your transcribed interview, you mentioned that when you first brought up the National Guard to the House Sergeant at Arms in the days leading up to January 6, that Mr. Irving said he, quote, “didn’t like the optics,” end quote, is that correct?
Chief Sund:That is correct. He referenced being concerned for optics.
Rep. Steil:And on January 6, when he went to Mr. Irving to get his approval to call in the Guard, mr. Irving said he would, quote, run it up the chain. Is that correct?
Chief Sund:Sir. That was a telephone call. I didn’t see him in person when I first made that request.
Rep. Steil:The House Sergeant Arms is considered probably the most senior security official on the House side. When Mr. Irving says he has to, quote, run it up the chain, end quote, what did that mean?
Chief Sund:I took that to mean his leadership chain.
Rep. Steil:And who would be his leadership chain? He’s functionally the most senior security official on the House side, correct?
Chief Sund:Yes, sir. That was a telephone call. I didn’t see him in person when I first made that request.
Rep. Steil:The House Sergeant Arms is considered probably the most senior security official on the House side. When Mr. Irving says he has to, quote, run it up the chain, end quote, what did that mean?
Chief Sund:I took that to mean his leadership chain.
Rep. Steil: And who would be his leadership chain? He’s functionally the most senior security official on the House side, correct?
Chief Sund:That’s his title. That’s part of the title. The senior law enforcement official for the House of Representatives. But he would have been referring to the leadership team that goes up to Speaker Pelosi.
Rep. Steil:So the political leadership team, meaning elected officials, not another security official, is that.
Chief Sund:That is correct, sir. He’s the top security official for the House.
Rep. Steil:So running up the chain would most likely, in your opinion, is through the Speaker’s office and possibly to Speaker Pelosi?
Chief Sund:That would be where it end, yes.
Rep. Steil:Okay, let’s park that there, and then let’s jump to a second set here. In a press conference on January 7, Speaker Pelosi called for your resignation on national television. Speaker Pelosi also stated that she had not talked to you since the initial breach of the Capitol. But according to your transcribed interview, you were on the phone with Speaker Pelosi a few times. Can you explain that discrepancy?
Chief Sund:Yeah, that is correct. I spoke to Speaker Pelosi three times that evening. And she went on national TV and said, I’d never spoken to her, but I spoke to her three times. Three times were – The first time was when I went over to brief Vice President Pence at the secure location, I had called House Sergeant Arms Irving, and told him I was going over to brief the Vice President. I was also going over to do a personal assessment of the Capitol. At that point, things were getting under control. Went over there, and briefed him on when we can get them back into chambers with Mr. Irving, being fully aware. He said he wanted to get Speaker Pelosi on the phone. He made a phone call from his cell phone at approximately 534, where I first briefed Speaker Pelosi. The second call was when I left that location. As I was walking away, I met up with Mr. Stinger, and we started walking over to the Senate to go brief the Senate when Jennifer Hemingway I believe it was Jennifer Hemingway handed me her cell phone, and it was Emily Barrett’s cell phone calling her, and it was Speaker Pelosi on the other line.
This was my second call with Speaker Pelosi questioning the information I’d given to Vice President Pence about when we can get back into chambers. I assured her that information was correct. I could get them back into chamber by 07:00 P.M., and the call ended. That was call number two. Call number three was 06:25 p.m.. I was over at the Senate from the secure location I mean, from where the Senate had been sequestered. And on a cell phone, using Robert Caram’s cell phone, they dialed leadership, who was over off site at a secure location, and I briefed all of leadership of the plans to get them back into chambers. That would have been call number three with Speaker Pelosi.
Rep. Steil:Soyou didn’t have one call. You didn’t have two calls. You had three calls. So Speaker Pelosi’s comments that she didn’t speak to you are inaccurate?
Chief Sund:That is correct, sir.
Chief Steven Sund later told the subcommittee he can provide documentation to prove what he was saying was accurate.
Why would Pelosi lie about such a statement if she was not worried about her own actions that day? This should be investigated. Pelosi needs to be called in under oath. In fact the January 6 Committee should have called her in to testify when they started their faux investigation. They didn’t. And now we are starting to find out why Pelosi was ignored by the horrible leftists on that fake committee.
