On January 4, 2021, Assistant Sergeant at Arms Kathleen Joyce emailed Terri McCullough and Jamie Fleet, copying House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, a draft “Dear Colleague” on security information for the January 6 joint session, and asked for “any edits, comments or concerns.” McCullough replied the same afternoon with three suggestions, in her name: specify that members who usually park on the plaza would have garage access; specify the time the session begins; and eliminate two sentences about official-business visitors and where to meet them, because “if as we discussed earlier we are not allowing guests it sends a mixed signal especially after saying buildings are closed to the public.” Joyce wrote back that evening: “We’ve incorporated your edits and will send this out.” The email chain is posted as a PDF by Just the News.
House Republican appointees Jim Banks, Jim Jordan, Troy Nehls, Kelly Armstrong, and Rodney Davis released a Report of Investigation on December 21, 2022. Official House Administration press release that day. The report, as hosted by Just the News and as quoted there and in the New York Post, says Irving stayed in contact with McCullough about preparations; Irving sent the draft to McCullough and Fleet; McCullough responded with edits on parking, timing, and official-business visitors; Irving later texted Fleet that they were making “Terri [McCullough]’s edits” and asked him to “act surprised” when the Republican counterpart was copied. The New York Post, December 21, 2022: the report records, on January 6 alone, 36 communications between Irving and Pelosi staffers, including 11 with McCullough and 20 with Fleet.
The same report’s findings, as the CHA press release lists them, include that the Speaker and Democrat leadership were closely involved in security decisions and that the House Sergeant at Arms took direction from staff in the Office of the Speaker and excluded Republicans from key meetings. Those are the GOP investigators’ conclusions. They are not a court finding. They are not a conviction of McCullough. Pelosi’s office has said the Speaker is not in charge of Capitol complex security. Congressional Research Service language, as quoted by Just the News, says the Sergeant at Arms operates “under the direction of the Speaker” to maintain order in the House. Both sentences can be linked. This page does not upgrade a Dear Colleague edit into a National Guard denial. That allegation is labeled elsewhere.