Justice Department watchdog, House to probe Capitol riot

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A Justice Department watchdog and the House of Representatives on Friday announced separate investigations in response to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol last week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she asked retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to lead a review of security at the Capitol complex. He'll scrutinize infrastructure, interagency processes and procedures, and command and control.

"As former vice director for Operations, J-3, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his focus was military support to civil authorities, and he has strong experience with the security of the National Capital Region," Pelosi said.

"Members of the House leadership worked with General Honoré during [Hurricane] Katrina and saw firsthand his strategic and patriotic leadership. The general will be calling upon other subject matter experts as to how we go forward."

Pelosi said there's "strong support" within the House for the creation of a commission to provide its own review of the insurrection, in which thousands marched upon the Capitol after attending a speech by President Donald Trump.

Security on the day of the riots has come under criticism after it became clear that Capitol Police were severely outnumbered by protesters and rioters. It took about 4 hours from the time Capitol Police requested assistance for National Guard troops showed up at the building, according to the Department of Defense.

Both Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger and House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving resigned from their posts one day after the attack.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz also announced Friday that his office will probe how the department, including the FBI, prepared for and responded to the events of Jan. 6.

He said his office will coordinate with reviews being conducted by the inspectors general of the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Interior.

"The DOJ OIG also will assess whether there are any weaknesses in DOJ protocols, policies, or procedures that adversely affected the ability of DOJ or its components to prepare effectively for and respond to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6," a statement from Horowitz's office said.

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol left 5 people dead, including one Capitol Police officer and four participants.