Former Capitol Police Lieutenant Breaks With Harry Dunn, Calls MD-05 Run “Self-Serving”

By MDBayNews Staff

Criticism of Harry Dunn’s latest congressional bid is no longer coming solely from political opponents or partisan commentators. This week, it came from someone far closer to Dunn’s own professional and personal orbit.

Tarik Johnson, a former U.S. Capitol Police lieutenant and Maryland 5th District resident, released a lengthy public statement sharply criticizing Dunn’s decision to run for Congress in a district where he does not live—marking Dunn’s second consecutive attempt to seek office outside his home district.

Johnson, who emphasized that he does not dismiss or minimize the trauma experienced by officers on January 6, nevertheless concluded that Dunn’s campaign is driven by personal ambition rather than public service.

“I do not believe Harry Dunn will look out for the interests of anyone but Harry Dunn,” Johnson wrote. “That is not someone who should be representing my interests in Congress.”

Residency and Representation Revisited

Johnson’s remarks echo a growing concern among Maryland voters: that Dunn’s political strategy resembles district-shopping, not community representation.

Dunn previously ran—and lost—in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District in 2024. He is now seeking the open seat in Maryland’s 5th District following the retirement of Steny Hoyer, despite continuing to reside outside the district’s boundaries.

While federal law allows such a run, Johnson framed the issue as one of trust and legitimacy, not legality.

“If voters didn’t want him in his own district,” Johnson asked, “why would we want him to represent us in ours?”

Questions About Credibility and Transparency

In his statement, Johnson also cited the work of investigative reporter Steve Baker, who has publicly challenged aspects of Dunn’s January 6 narrative and raised questions about inconsistencies between Dunn’s testimony, media appearances, and his book.

Johnson noted that he initially gave Dunn the benefit of the doubt, but said the volume of unresolved discrepancies ultimately changed his view.

MDBayNews has not independently verified all claims raised by Baker or Johnson. Dunn has not publicly addressed the specific allegations referenced in Johnson’s statement.

A Broken Assurance—and a Broken Trust

Perhaps most striking was Johnson’s claim that Dunn privately indicated he had not yet decided to run for the MD-05 seat and promised to inform Johnson before making any announcement—an assurance Johnson says was not honored.

As a result, Johnson stated that he will not run for the seat himself, explaining that he made professional commitments based on Dunn’s representations and intends to honor those commitments.

“I am a man of my word,” Johnson wrote. “And I will not walk away from those who invested in me.”

A Broader Pattern Emerges

Johnson’s remarks add weight to a pattern already troubling many voters: a national profile candidate leveraging prominence gained elsewhere while bypassing the slow work of building local credibility.

This latest criticism did not come from a rival campaign, party activist, or anonymous source—but from a former Capitol Police lieutenant who stood alongside Dunn during one of the most scrutinized moments in modern American politics.

As Maryland’s 2026 congressional races take shape, the question facing MD-05 voters may be less about party labels and more about priorities:

Is this campaign about serving Southern Maryland—or sustaining a personal political brand?

MDBayNews will continue to follow developments in the race.

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