USA: Laptops and documents stolen during Capitol Hill Violence, including from House Speaker Pelosi’s office, raises national security concerns

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Capitol Hill Protesters stole a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the violence that erupted in Washington DC. Her spokesperson has confirmed the same. Meanwhile, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn claimed that his iPad was stolen as well before rescinding his comments.

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“Whip Clyburn’s iPad is safe and sound. In the chaos on Wednesday, a staffer moved it to a more secure location and other staff was unaware,” a spokesperson told CNN. DC’s acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin on Thursday said that numerous items were stolen which raises national security concerns.

“This is probably going to take several days to flesh out exactly what happened, what was stolen, what wasn’t,” he said. “[But] electronic items were stolen from senators’ offices. Documents, materials were stolen, and we have to identify what was done [and] mitigate that.”

Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said, “A laptop from a conference room was stolen. It was a laptop that was only used for presentations.” A spokesperson for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the House said, “During the event, the CAO took steps to ensure that the House network and devices remained secure. We remain vigilant in monitoring the security of the House network, systems, and information.”

CAO Catherine Szpindor said that there was no indication that networks had been breached. The protesters had managed to breach premises and enter Nancy Pelosi’s office during the storming of Capitol Hill. Numerous arrests have been made in connection to the incident.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia