WHY THE SPECIAL PAYMENTS TO MICHAEL BYRD? Byrd is the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbit during the January 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol grounds.

Just the News’s Steve Richards reported earlier this week that Byrd received substantially more financial and other assistance than any other USCP officer on duty during the riot. Byrd got a $37,000 retention bonus, help with $160,000 in private fundraising, housing, and a promotion to captain.

Today, Richards quotes the head of the USCP Union asking some very tough questions for which the incoming-House GOP leadership should demand answers from Democratic leaders of the 117th Congress, including most especially then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

First question: Why did Pelosi, then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) pressure the USCP leadership to go to extraordinary lengths to keep Byrd quiet?

“Not sure what makes Mike Byrd so special that he thinks he needed to be ‘taken care of’ by the Department. USCP should give every officer a $37k bonus or have Mike Byrd pay it all back,” USCP Union Chairman Gus Papathanasiou told Just The News.