Far-left New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman was charged with a misdemeanor Wednesday after he set off a fire alarm last month while the House was voting on spending legislation to prevent a partial government shutdown.
Bowman, 47, was scheduled to be booked and processed by Capitol Police on Thursday on a charge of raising a false fire alarm, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
He reached an agreement with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb to have his charges dropped in three months if the congressman formally apologizes to Capitol Police and pays a $1,000 fine, Bowman’s office told The Post. .
In an affidavit filed Wednesday in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., a Capitol Police investigator said Bowman testified that the emergency exit “was a regular door he uses” during voting and “he did not tell anyone about it.” ” about the violation until he was contacted by the “Sergeant at Arms.”
Bowman also denied that he had “the intent to cause a fire alarm,” “the intent to cause a security issue,” or “the intent to disrupt or obstruct a congressional proceeding.”
The wild incident at the Cannon Building was caught on camera.
He further said the sign inside the Cannon House office building read: “emergency exit just press to open.”
The researcher noted that the sign actually says: “Emergency exit, just press until the alarm sounds (3 seconds). The door will unlock in 30 seconds.”
Security camera footage reviewed by the investigator also reveals Bowman “running” down a staircase away from the emergency exit door he attempted to open and then “walking at a normal pace” as he leaves the building toward New Jersey Ave.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman was charged with a misdemeanor on Wednesday. Rod Lamkey – CNP Bowman had insisted it was an honest mistake, but footage showed alarms and emergency exits were clearly marked. Breitbart News
The lawmaker walked past at least seven Capitol Police officers without informing them of his actions, according to the footage, prompting the evacuation of the House office building for an hour and a half.
The investigator concluded, based on the evidence, that there was “probable cause to believe that the defendant intentionally or knowingly raised a false fire alarm in the District of Columbia.”
“I thank the District of Columbia Attorney General’s office for this matter and I appreciate that the general counsel of the United States Capitol Police has agreed that I did not and did not intend to obstruct any vote or House procedure,” Bowman said in a statement after the charge. .
“I am responsible for setting off a fire alarm, I will pay the fine imposed and I hope these charges will eventually be dropped,” he added.
Representative Bowman pulled this fire alarm. The charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. Breitbart News
“I think we all know that Republicans will try to use this to distract everyone from their mess, but I hope to put this behind us and continue to work hard to deliver for New Yorkers.”
Bowman’s office had previously circulated a talking points memo that said Republicans should be more concerned about the “Nazis” in their midst than about drawing attention to the fire alarm incident.
The “Squad” congressman later issued a mea culpa for the writing of the memo, saying it had been issued “without my consent.”
“I condemn the use of the term Nazi outside of its precise definition,” he posted on X at the time. “It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party and neo-Nazis.”
A conservative watchdog filed a separate complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics, saying Bowman had not behaved “in a manner that credibly reflects on the House.”
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