A former Maryland and Virginia law enforcement official was picked to be the U.S. Capitol Police‘s new chief more than six months after the Jan. 6 riot rocked the federal law enforcement agency.
J. Thomas Manger, who served from 2004 to 2019 in Montgomery County, Maryland, was selected for the role after an intensive search from the department’s board, which includes the House and Senate sergeant-at-arms and the Architect of the Capitol, according to the Associated Press, which cited four sources.
Before his stint in Maryland, Manger presided over the Fairfax City Police Department in Virginia during the investigation into Beltway sniper attacks, a series of shootings that killed 10 and injured three throughout October of 2002.
Manger will replace acting Chief Yogananda Pittman, who was chosen for the role after Steven Sund vacated the position one day after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, 42, died on Jan. 7, one day after facing off rioters who broke into the Capitol as lawmakers counted electoral votes to affirm President Joe Biden‘s victory over former President Donald Trump.
The law enforcement body has faced intense scrutiny after the siege of Congress and officers have expressed their displeasure with Pittman’s leadership.
TOP REPUBLICAN NAMES FIVE LAWMAKERS TO SERVE ON HOUSE RIOT COMMITTEE
In January, Capitol Police Labor Committee Chairman Gus Papathanasiou lashed out against Pittman after she blamed uniformed officers for falling short of their “own high standards” before the House Appropriations Committee.
“The fact they did not relay this information to the officers on duty prior to the insurrection is inexcusable,” Papathanasiou said in a scathing letter. “The officers are angry and I don’t blame them. The entire executive team failed us and they must be held accountable. Their inaction cost lives.”
“Acting Chief Pittman cites radio communications as a problem during the riots, but the real communications breakdown was silence from our leadership, before the insurrection and while it was underway,” he wrote. “They failed to share key intelligence with officers in advance, they failed to prepare adequately, they failed to equip our officers with a plan and on that very day, they failed to lead.”
More than 500 people have been charged in the aftermath of the breach, and lawmakers have deliberated on whether to bolster the equipment and capabilities of the department to prevent similar instances in the future. Last month, Congress voted to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 happenings further.
On Monday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy named five Republicans to sit on the newly created task force. Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana will serve as the top GOP lawmaker on the panel alongside Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Troy Nehls of Texas, and Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The panel also includes eight lawmakers appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat. Seven are Democrats, and one is Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
A spokesperson for the Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
