https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pentagon-inspector-general-raises-questions-about-former-d-c-guard-commander-s-jan-6-account/ar-AAQPClL
Pentagon inspector general raises questions about former D.C. Guard commander’s Jan. 6 account
Dan Lamothe - 1h ago
The D.C. National Guard’s commanding general was directed twice by Pentagon leadership to send in troops as violence engulfed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a newly released investigation that appears to undercut the now-retired general’s claim that he would have responded to the riot more quickly if Trump administration officials had allowed.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy first notified Maj. Gen. William Walker by phone at 4:35 p.m. that Walker was authorized to send troops to Capitol Hill, and then called the general again “to reissue the deployment order” about 30 minutes after McCarthy “originally conveyed it,” an Army witness told investigators with the independent Defense Department Inspector General, according to a newly released report. A timeline of events that day, assembled by the inspector general’s office, also indicates separate calls were made.
he investigation’s findings bring new scrutiny to Walker, who earlier this year was lauded for his candor in publicly recounting how dysfunction at the Pentagon stalled the National Guard’s response as supporters of President Donald Trump brutalized police and panicked lawmakers pleaded for help. Speaking at a joint Senate hearing on March 3, Walker recalled having a quick reaction force (QRF) geared up and said he was frustrated by the speed at which senior defense officials were responding. He told senators it was 5:08 p.m. when he received approval to deploy.
The Capitol was breached at 1:50 p.m.
Three weeks later, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appointed him House sergeant-at-arms, saying Walker was a “leader of great integrity” and that he would be “an important asset to the House, particularly in light of the January 6 insurrection.”
Walker did not respond to multiple requests for comment. McCarthy, through a spokesperson, declined to comment. It is unclear from the inspector general’s report whether investigators asked Walker about there being two deployment orders from McCarthy. A person close to Walker said the retired general stands by his congressional testimony and disputes that he was told he could deploy forces to the Capitol before 5 p.m. Like others, this person spoke on the condition of anonymity citing the issue’s ongoing sensitivity.
A spokesperson for the inspector general’s office did not respond to requests for comment.