thedailycaller | Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz threatened the chief of the U.S.
Capitol Police with “consequences” for holding equipment that she says
belongs to her in order to build a criminal case against a Pakistani
staffer suspected of massive cybersecurity breaches involving funneling
sensitive congressional data offsite.
The Florida lawmaker used her position on the committee that sets the
police force’s budget to press its chief to relinquish the piece of
evidence Thursday, in what could be considered using her authority to
attempt to interfere with a criminal investigation.
The Capitol Police and outside agencies are pursuing Imran Awan, who has run technology for the Florida lawmaker since 2005 and was banned from the House network in February on suspicion of data breaches and theft.
“My understanding is the the Capitol Police is not able to confiscate
Members’ equipment when the Member is not under investigation,”
Wasserman Schultz said in the annual police budget hearing of the House Committee On Appropriations’ Legislative Branch Subcommittee.
“We can’t return the equipment,” Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa told the Florida Democrat.
