in new complaint
An officer with the U.S. Army National Guard has accused the Pentagon of retaliating against him for his account of how military personnel were used to respond to the Capitol riot earlier this year.
Lt. Col. Kris G. Borer alleges in a Discrimination Complaint filed Wednesday with the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission that his employer, the National Guard Bureau, “initiated reprisals” against him for speaking up about how top Pentagon brass and Guard leaders “downplayed the severity” of the violence at the Capitol Jan. 6.
Borer was the commander of an Army National Guard unit that was deployed to the Capitol to respond to the mob attack by pro-Trump insurrectionists. But he alleges he faced punishment for briefing other senior leaders about the attacks, such as his details of the chaotic scenes of insurrectionists running through the halls of the Capitol and threatening members of Congress.
The National Guard Bureau denies any reprisal, saying the allegations are unfounded.
Borer’s complaint also claims that his request for a “temporary sidearm” was denied and that he was actively discouraged from speaking to the press about the National Guard’s response to the Capitol attack.
The EEOC complaint is likely the first of its kind from an active-duty Officer in the U.S. military who believes he has been penalized for speaking out about the riots. If successful, it could open the door to further claims of reprisals against members of the military who speak out on matters of national importance.
