Capitol Police examines backgrounds, social media feeds of some who meet with lawmakers - POLITICO - POLITICO

“And I’m not big on calling for resignations.”Several Capitol Police intelligence analysts have already raised concerns about the practice to the department’s inspector general, according to one of the people who spoke for this story.The Capitol Police, in a statement, defended the practice of searching for public information about people meeting with lawmakers and said the department coordinates the work with members’ offices.“The more public information we have, the better we can understand what kind and how much security is necessary,” the statement said.Major changes in the Capitol Police intelligence unit started in fall of 2020, when the department brought on former Department of Homeland Security official Julie Farnam to help run its intelligence unit, which is housed in its Intelligence and Interagency Coordination Division. A Capitol Police spokesperson said the template POLITICO reviewed was not the most recent version.In addition to basic information about the event, the revised template reviewed by POLITICO asked analysts to describe “the backgrounds of the participants (other than [Members of Congress]) and attendees, if known.”The template also told intelligence analysts to look at social media feeds related to event attendees: “In searching social media outlets, is there anything that may impact the event itself or any of the participants (both [Members of Congress] and other known attendees)?”And it told Capitol Police analysts to search for information about lawmakers’ opponents and their opponents’ supporters: “List and search all political opponents to see if they or their followers intend to attend or disrupt the event.”In another document reviewed by POLITICO, one Capitol Police official noted that Farnam directed analysts to run “background checks” on people whom lawmakers planned to meet, including donors and associates. A spokesperson for Scalise said the congressman was unaware of the scrutiny those meetings received.A spokesperson for the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over chamber security matters and is chaired by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), declined to comment.As a general practice, Farnam directed analysts to search for any information about event attendees, including donors and staff, “that would cast a member in a negative light,” according to one person familiar with the workings of the department’s intelligence office.