Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman declined to testify at a hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection, giving an excuse the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee deemed 'pathetic'
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman has declined to testify at a Tuesday hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection. | Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via APActing Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman has declined to testify at a Tuesday hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection, giving an excuse the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee deemed "pathetic."
The Kentucky Republican called it "pathetic" for Pittman not to testify and said she was declining to "avoid answering the hard questions." The Capitol Police said in a statement they believed Pittman had been a “last-minute addition” to the hearing and was not able to attend because of the scheduling conflict with the House Administration Committee’s hearing. She had “agreed to testify at another time,” the USCP said.
Pittman's alleged refusal to testify is likely to draw the ire of members of Congress investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection as pressure mounts on the agency to reform. Pittman's tenure has come under increased scrutiny after two Senate committees released adetailing security failures leading up to and during the attack — particularly in the intelligence division that Pittman had commanded at the time.