Michael
Stenger, the former Senate sergeant-in-arms died Tuesday, according to news
reports. Reports of Stenger’s death came on the heels of the January 6 committee
announcing that newly-obtained evidence has led to the need for a “surprise
hearing” on Tuesday. Stenger, who was 71 years old at the time of his death,
was the sergeant-in-arms when the Capitol riots took place on January 6, 2021
following Joe Biden getting elected President of the United States of America.

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Stenger,
along with Paul Irving, the erstwhile House sergeant-of-arms and Capitol police
chief Steven Sund, had resigned after their roles in the Capitol riots came
under question. The law enforcement officials were accused of being under-prepared
ahead of the riot. According to an old New York Times report, Stenger and
Irving had rejected a Capitol police request to have the National Guard on
standby ahead of the fated January 6 morning.

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While the
circumstances of Stenger’s death remain unclear, the timing of his death has
made social media conspiracy theorists sit up and ask: “Coincidence?” William
LeGate, a tech entrepreneur, wrote on Twitter sharing a news report about the former
cop’s death.

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Marjorie
Taylor-Greene, someone often accused of spreading far-right conspiracy
theories, has also appeared to suggest that there is something suspicious about
Stenger’s death, according to a Newsweek report.

Taylor-Greene
shared a tweet stating how Stenger died along with a video of Stenger’s
testimony to a Senate committee in February 2021 about the Capitol riot. In his
testimony, Stenger had suggested the role of “professional agitators” in the
January 6 riots.

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Stenger had
said: “There is an opportunity to learn lessons from the events of January 6th…Investigations
should be considered as to funding and travel of what appears to be
professional agitators. First Amendment rights should always be considered in
conjunction with professional investigations.”

Michael
Stenger had a long stint of nearly 35 years with the Secret Service. During
this time, he worked in Washington DC, New York, and Newark, in “protective,
investigative and staff assignments.”