WASHINGTON – One U.S. Capitol Police officer has been suspended in connection to the investigation into a series of bathroom fires on the Capitol complex in recent months, and another has been reassigned, FOX News has learned.
Officer Kern Emory has been suspended, but whether she is considered a suspect in the investigation is not known. FOX News has confirmed Emory's suspension, which was first reported Monday afternoon by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a congressional aide with knowledge of the investigation said "police have asked everyone to be closed- mouth. ... Seh's suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
FOX News learned earlier that a Capitol Police investigator also has been reassigned for apparent work performance problems.
A senior congressional aide with knowledge of the investigation said the U.S. Capitol Police investigator — who was not named — was "not doing a good job," and "on at least one of the fires, the inspector was a half hour late to the scene." The aide spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of an ongoing investigation.
The aide said that the inspector is not suspected of being involved in the fires, but added that the reassignment was a result of not just problems on the fire investigation.
"There were a series of incidents (not related to the fires). The guy was just doing a bad job," the aide said.
It was not immediately clear what the investigator's new assignment was.
The aide said the investigation is continuing, but charges do not appear imminent. Police have requested information from Hart and Dirksen Senate office building staffers.
"There is certainly some suspicion that this is an inside job" by someone who works in the Capitol Hill complex, the aide said, adding that police haven't been ruled out as suspects either.
FOX News' Trish Turner contributed to this report.
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