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Policy violations that ordinarily would lead to firings instead resulted in promotions for officers responsible for protecting top congressional leadership.
Corruption is endemic at the highest levels of the United States Capitol Police, especially among the special agents and officers who serve in the department’s dignitary protection detail, a Blaze Media investigation has found.

Internal discipline reports show a pattern of officers failing upward. Proven instances of fraud, forgery, theft, perjury, and drunk driving on duty going back to the late 1990s led to promotions rather than dismissals and prosecutions, discipline reports obtained by Blaze Media show.

High-ranking USCP officials, including a present-day deputy chief and an assistant chief, were implicated and faced discipline and possible termination in a fraudulent overtime pay scheme that defrauded the government of tens of thousands of dollars, according to documents obtained by Blaze Media and a former Capitol Police sergeant. A lieutenant involved in the scam left the Capitol Police and now works for the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms.

Suspensions for felonies
National Journal first reported on the overtime scheme in July 2014 but did not name the officers involved.

The National Journal story relied in part on the account of Rhoda Henderson, a retired USCP sergeant and whistleblower. In an exclusive interview with Blaze Media, Henderson confirmed that the officers involved were current USCP Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher, current Deputy Chief John Erickson, and Wendy Colmore, who is now director of central operations for the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms.

Gallagher was a captain with the dignitary protection detail and the alleged “ringleader” at the time of the payroll scheme, while Erickson and Colmore were both lieutenants under Gallagher’s command.

Henderson told Blaze Media that the scheme lasted “for at least a year,” and while she wasn’t involved in the crime’s audit, the three officers stole well in excess of $10,000 from the USCP. She also explained that USCP authorities first doubted her story until she was able to produce the paper trail of the scheme.

Blaze Media inquired whether there had ever been any follow-up to this story from any other D.C. media. Henderson explained that her interview with National Journal reporter Bill House was the only other time she had been contacted by a journalist before now.

Henderson reiterated to Blaze Media that her disappointment with the USCP’s leadership in how they handled these “felonies” — crimes for which the three officers should have been “terminated” — was her reason for speaking to National Journal, adding, “They look out for each other, the higher rank you go.” She said, “To me, it’s always been, ‘I’ll cover up your sins if you cover up mine.’”

Read the full article on the The Blaze

 

Policy violations that ordinarily would lead to firings instead resulted in promotions for officers responsible for protecting top congressional leadership.
Corruption is endemic at the highest levels of the United States Capitol Police, especially among the special agents and officers who serve in the department’s dignitary protection detail, a Blaze Media investigation has found.

Internal discipline reports show a pattern of officers failing upward. Proven instances of fraud, forgery, theft, perjury, and drunk driving on duty going back to the late 1990s led to promotions rather than dismissals and prosecutions, discipline reports obtained by Blaze Media show.

High-ranking USCP officials, including a present-day deputy chief and an assistant chief, were implicated and faced discipline and possible termination in a fraudulent overtime pay scheme that defrauded the government of tens of thousands of dollars, according to documents obtained by Blaze Media and a former Capitol Police sergeant. A lieutenant involved in the scam left the Capitol Police and now works for the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms.

Suspensions for felonies
National Journal first reported on the overtime scheme in July 2014 but did not name the officers involved.

The National Journal story relied in part on the account of Rhoda Henderson, a retired USCP sergeant and whistleblower. In an exclusive interview with Blaze Media, Henderson confirmed that the officers involved were current USCP Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher, current Deputy Chief John Erickson, and Wendy Colmore, who is now director of central operations for the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms.

Gallagher was a captain with the dignitary protection detail and the alleged “ringleader” at the time of the payroll scheme, while Erickson and Colmore were both lieutenants under Gallagher’s command.

Henderson told Blaze Media that the scheme lasted “for at least a year,” and while she wasn’t involved in the crime’s audit, the three officers stole well in excess of $10,000 from the USCP. She also explained that USCP authorities first doubted her story until she was able to produce the paper trail of the scheme.

Blaze Media inquired whether there had ever been any follow-up to this story from any other D.C. media. Henderson explained that her interview with National Journal reporter Bill House was the only other time she had been contacted by a journalist before now.

Henderson reiterated to Blaze Media that her disappointment with the USCP’s leadership in how they handled these “felonies” — crimes for which the three officers should have been “terminated” — was her reason for speaking to National Journal, adding, “They look out for each other, the higher rank you go.” She said, “To me, it’s always been, ‘I’ll cover up your sins if you cover up mine.’”

Read the full article on the The Blaze