WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s impeachment and the fallout from the Jan. 6 attack of the Capitol by pro-Trump loyalists (all times local):
2:15 p.m.
A retired Pennsylvania firefighter has been arrested on suspicion of throwing a fire extinguisher that hit three police officers during the siege at the U.S. Capitol.
Former Chester firefighter Robert Sanford was arrested Thursday on charges including assault of a police officer and unlawfully entering the Capitol.
The charges against Sanford are not related to the widely publicized attack on an officer who was hit with a fire extinguisher and died.
Sanford is appearing in federal court in Pennsylvania, but the case will be prosecuted in Washington.
Sanford couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday, and it wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney.
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:
1:55 p.m.
U.S. officials say the number of National Guard troops pouring into the nation’s capital to assist law enforcement with security surrounding the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden has grown to about 26,000.
Officials say Guard members from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, are deploying to the city. Officials had initially said up to 20,000 would be needed, but the final number has grown based on additional requests from law enforcement officials.
The U.S. officials weren’t authorized to discuss security details publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
As of Thursday, there are roughly 7,000 Guard members in Washington, with thousands more on the way. Officials say 3,000 to 4,000 of those Guard members are armed.
The length of the missions may vary, but Defense Department officials were authorized to deploy the Guard for up to 30 days for the inauguration and surrounding protests.
Pentagon officials approved requests to have some Guard members armed with either long guns or handguns, particularly those Guard members assigned near the U.S. Capitol.
— AP writer Lolita C. Baldor
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11:30 a.m.
Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York says he has the coronavirus. He’s the latest House member to report testing positive since dozens of lawmakers huddled together for protection during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Espaillat says he’s not experiencing any symptoms, is quarantining at home and will keep up his work representing his Upper Manhattan district. He says he’s gotten both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
At least three other House members have tested positive after a group of representatives fled to a secure location on Capitol Hill when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed and ransacked the Capitol.
It’s not clear where and when lawmakers caught the virus. But the Capitol’s attending physician has told House members they might have been exposed to someone in the room who had the virus.
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9:55 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial could begin at 1 p.m. on Inauguration Day next Wednesday as President-elect Joe Biden is being sworn into office. That’s according to a a timeline of Senate procedure obtained by The Associated Press.
It’s the possible schedule if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sends the article of impeachment to the Senate soon.
Trump was impeached by the House on Wednesday on a single charge of incitement to insurrection after the deadly Capitol siege last week by a pro-Trump mob. Trump is the only president ever to be impeached twice.
Pelosi, D-Calif., hasn’t said when she’ll send the impeachment charge to the Senate. Some Democrats have suggested holding back to allow Biden time to be inaugurated and to start working on his priorities first.
Biden has suggested the Senate could divide its time between the impeachment trial and confirming his Cabinet nominees and working on COVID-19 relief and other issues.
— AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro
