U.S. Capitol Police Board names Sean Gallagher as interim chief

The U.S. Capitol Police Board named current Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher the interim chief of the Capitol Police as the search for a new permanent chief continues.

The department confirmed the appointment of Gallagher on Monday, following Chief Thomas Manger retiring last month, Politico reported. Manger began his tenure following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Some in the department see Gallagher, who has been the Assistant Chief of Police for Uniformed Operations, as a strong contender for the permanent position, according to the news outlet. He has also served as the assistant commander of the Investigations Division and the assistant commander of the Dignitary Protection Division and the Capitol Division.

Documents reviewed by Just the News show that an internal affairs probe in 2013 concluded that Gallagher was caught submitting false timesheets and forging his boss's signature for approval back when he was a captain. The officer who reviewed the case stated that Gallagher did not dispute the facts but claimed he did not know he was violating department policy.

The Capitol Police Board -- which is composed of House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jennifer Hemingway, and Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin -- will choose Manger's permanent replacement.

“If they pick someone from the inside, they’re going to know what our mission is,” Manger said in a recent interview before leaving the department. “They’ll have that — that’s good. If they pick somebody from the outside, they’re going to have to learn about our mission, the uniqueness of it, but the structure of oversight as well, and there is a learning curve there.”