The U.S. Capitol Police will be led by Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher on acting basis while a search continues for a new permanent leader, the department confirmed Monday.
Gallagher’s appointment by the Capitol Police Board comes after Chief Thomas Manger retired last month after about four years on the job. Gallagher is seen by some in the department as a strong contender for the permanent position after having held a variety of roles within the department over the past two decades.
Gallagher, who oversees uniformed operations as one of three assistant chiefs, has been with the department since 2001. He has previously served as the assistant commander of the Investigations Division and as the assistant commander of the Dignitary Protection Division and the Capitol Division.
Capitol Police employees and even some on Capitol Hill with oversight responsibilities over the department were unclear Monday morning who Manger’s temporary successor was, stoking some confusion about who was at the helm of the department. Two people granted anonymity described the decision to POLITICO before the department confirmed the appointment.
The job of choosing Manger’s long term replacement will fall to the Capitol Police Board, composed of House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jennifer Hemingway and Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin. All three came to their positions during Manger’s tenure, and this will be their first time working together in a search for the top Capitol Police official. Top congressional leaders choose the board members and are expected to have some influence in the pick.
“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.”
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