City could probe worker involvement in riot

Los Angeles City Council members called for an investigation into whether city employees were involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., that began as a protest of the results of the presidential election and morphed into an insurrection.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced a motion Wednesday that would direct all city departments — including from the police, fire and personnel departments — to conduct this probe.

She said that “city employees, especially sworn personnel, need to be held to the highest standard of conduct.”

“Any government employee determined to have been involved in this attack is not just a betrayal to our democracy, it’s a rebuke of the privilege of being a public servant,” she said.

The motion was seconded by Council member Marqueece Harris-Dawson and referred to the Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee.

Under the motion, department officials were directed to report back on how they plan to conduct the investigation, as well as findings and disciplinary actions. The council members also called for a report on how city employee social media policies address hate speech and First Amendment rights.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore on Tuesday confirmed that a department employee was at the Trump rally Jan. 6, before others there stormed the Capitol Building. The chief says the employee left the rally before the attack.

It was unclear if the employee was a sworn or a civilian. The worker was directed to talk to the FBI in Los Angeles, officials said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the violent siege at the U.S. Capitol last week.

The impeachment proceedings came one week after a violent, pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding.

Five people died.

Staff writer Josh Cain and The Associated Press contributed to the report.