Philly Investigating If City Workers Rioted At Capitol

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is asking anyone who has information on city employees participating in illegal activity at the United States Capitol building to submit tips.

Kenney Monday urged anyone with information about any city employee who may have participated in illegal activity in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday to contact the Office of the Inspector General at 215-686-1770, oig@phila.gov, or through 311.

Anonymous complaints will be accepted. The Inspector General will investigate any such credible information.

"I fully support the rights of all citizens — including our City employees — to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech," he said. "But equally important issues are raised when any demonstrators break the law, and it is clear that hundreds of people did so last Wednesday in the abhorrent incursion of the U.S. Capitol."

Kenney's statement came on the heels of news that Philadelphia Police Det. Jennifer Gugger detective is being investigated for potentially participating in riots at the Capitol. Five people died following the events, including a Pennsylvania man.

Additionally, 14 Pennsylvania residents were charged in connection with Wednesday's events, and one Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges.

"I sincerely hope that is not the case — I hope good judgment prevailed," Kenney said of Gugger. "But rest assured that should this individual or any City worker be implicated in criminal activity as a result of that demonstration, he or she will be disciplined up to and including termination."

Kenney said there is no evidence as of Monday that any city employee broke the law last Wednesday when the Capitol was breached.

"And I cannot emphasize enough that any resulting investigations would not lose sight of the right to engage in First Amendment protected activity," he said.