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Angus King Says Law Enforcement Should Have Taken Threats Against Capitol More Seriously

Joshua Roberts
/
Pool via AP
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, arrives prior to the start of arguments in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 in Washington.

The U.S. Senate has started the long process of investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol with a joint hearing by two Senate committees.

U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine, who serves on the rules and administration committee, sought answers to why security agencies didn’t take more seriously a warning from an FBI field office that the rally by supporters of then-President Donald Trump could turn violent.

“Not necessarily a failure of intelligence, but a failure to communicate intelligence. And I think that is something we all need to think about,” he said.

King said while it is important to protect against such events in the future, Congress should not overreact and said lawmakers must not forget that the Capitol belongs to the people of the United States.

“How do we allow the American people to go in the rotunda, to tour the Capitol, to picnic on the grounds, to play with their kids?” he said. “It seems to me that going forward, that is one of our challenges. We want security, but I would hate to see the U.S. Capitol turned into a fortress.”

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.