On Tuesday, reports confirmed the man who served as the Senate sergeant-at-arms during the Jan. 6th, 2021 Capitol riot has been found dead. Michael Stenger’s death comes amid the House of Representatives investigation of the riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.
No cause of death has been confirmed.
1) Fox confirms that Michael Stenger, the Senate Sergeant at Arms who was in charge of Senate security the day of the Capitol riot, has died.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 27, 2022
The Daily Wire reports:
Despite a lack of details, speculation swirled on social media, in part due to Stenger’s proximity to the ongoing probe. Stenger, 71, was faulted along with former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund in a report by the Senate Rules Committee for not requesting aid from the National Guard. Soon-to-be-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) vowed to fire Stenger, who had held the post since 2018, if he was not ousted by January 20, 2021.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “requested and received the resignation” of Stenger on Jan. 7, 2021.
“The ultimate blame for yesterday lies with the unhinged criminals who broke down doors, trampled our nation’s flag, fought with law enforcement, and tried to disrupt our democracy, and with those who incited them,” McConnell said at the time. “But this fact does not and will not preclude our addressing the shocking failures in the Capitol’s security posture and protocols.”
Last year, Stenger testified that he believed the riot could have been fueled by “professional agitators.”
“There is an opportunity to learn lessons from the events of January 6,” he said. “Investigations should be considered as to funding and travel of what appears to be professional agitators.”
