Swalwell knocks McCarthy for sending fried chicken to Capitol Police officers

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) knocked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday for sending chicken to U.S. Capitol Police officers, writing that it was “fitting” that the lawmaker “dishonors the police but sends them … chicken.”

David Laufman, a lawyer who represented two Capitol Police officers at the House select committee’s first hearing in July, tweeted a photo on Tuesday of bags of Chick-fil-A fried chicken that McCarthy sent to Capitol Police officers.

The photo included a note from McCarthy that read “Thank you for all you do!”

Laufman criticized McCarthy for the gesture, writing on Twitter “am sure it’s delicious, but would prefer support for democracy and the rule of law if you’re not tapped out #rememberJanuary6 #protectdemocracy.”

⁦@GOPLeader⁩ has sent bags of fried chicken to ⁦@CapitolPolice⁩ — am sure it’s delicious, but would prefer support for democracy and the rule of law if you’re not tapped out #rememberJanuary6 #protectdemocracy pic.twitter.com/jfSEuFuK53

— David Laufman (@DavidLaufmanLaw) September 7, 2021

Swalwell retweeted Laufman’s message, writing that “tons” of Capitol Police officers were “texting me this in disbelief.”

“@GOPLeader McCarthy dishonors the police but sends them…chicken. Fitting,” he added.

Tons of USCP officers texting me this in disbelief. @GOPLeader McCarthy dishonors the police but sends them…chicken. Fitting. https://t.co/iF14xVRp5o

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) September 7, 2021

Politico reported Wednesday, according to one source, that some officers opted not to eat the chicken and “expressed disappointment” that McCarthy would show the Capitol Police support in a private setting with chicken instead of publicly through legislation.

Most of the officers, however, did eat the chicken, Politico noted.

The Republican minority leader has emerged as the face of opposition to the congressional investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Most recently, he said Republicans “will not forget” if telecommunications companies turn phone and email records over to the House panel probing the riots, after the select committee penned letters to 25 companies asking them to preserve records of people who might have been involved in the attack. 

McCarthy said turning over records “would put every American with a phone or computer in the crosshairs of a surveillance state run by Democratic politicians.”

In May, he said he would oppose convening a bipartisan, independent 9/11-style commission to look into the attack, which Democrats had first sought to establish.

But in July, he pulled all his GOP nominees from the select committee probing the riots in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision to reject two of his picks.

The Hill reached out to McCarthy for comment.