Duckworth Calls for Pentagon to Investigate Capitol Riot

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is calling on the Pentagon to investigate whether any service members, current or former, took part in the riot at the Capitol last week.

Duckworth, a combat veteran and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller asking him to instruct the Pentagon's investigative organizations to work with the FBI and the Capitol Police to probe "deeply troubling reports."

Current and former service members might have taken part in the riot, and therefore "engaged in insurrection against the authority of the United States, or participated in a seditious conspiracy that used force to: oppose the authority of the United States; prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the Electoral Count Act; and unlawfully seize, take or possess property of the United States."

She notes, "If accurate, it would be a disgraceful insult to the vast majority of servicemembers who honorably serve our nation in accordance with the core values of their respective services."

Duckworth concludes, "I urge you to take appropriate action to hold individuals accountable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Upholding good order and discipline demands that the U.S. Armed Forces root out extremists that infiltrate the military and threaten our national security. Thank you in advance for prioritizing my urgent request."

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