By Allan Lengel
Michael Stenger, who worked for U.S. Secret Service for more than three decades, and resigned from his post as U.S. Senate’s sergeant-at-arms after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, died Monday at age 71, the Washington Post reports.
He died of natural cause, possibly cancer, sources told the Associated Press.
Stenger, who was known for his good sense of humor, served as sergeant-at-arms of the Senate since 2018, and resigned in January 2021 after the insurrection. Sen. Mitch McConnell had requested his resignation.
The Post noted:
“News of Stenger’s passing on Tuesday fueled baseless conspiracy theories online, with some social media users calling his death “suspicious” and attempting to link it to the surprise Jan. 6 hearing announced just 24 hours earlier by the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection. Stenger died of natural causes, and there is no evidence he was set to testify at that hearing. Cassidy Hutchinson, a Trump White House aide, testified before the committee.”
Stenger was with Secret Service for 35 years, working as an agent and in management in positions including Assistant Director for the Office of Investigations and the Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Research. In 2011, he joined the office of sergeant-at-arms. In 2018, he was named to the top position.
Stenger got to know a lot of interesting people along the way. In fact, when he stepped down as head of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, he had one of his friends Tony Sirico call in on a speaker phone to say a few words. Sirico played the role of “Paulie Walnuts” on “The Sopranos.”
