Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., could be charged with obstruction for triggering a Capitol fire alarm during House proceedings, former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Newsmax on Sunday morning.
Bowman acknowledged pulling a fire alarm Saturday in one of the U.S. Capitol office buildings before lawmakers voted on a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
"It's obviously within the letter of the law," Whitaker told "Sunday Report" host Jon Glasgow of Bowman's action. "It meets exactly that [obstruction], Jon, and you know, we look at what happened to all the people that were involved in Jan. 6, and you know, I don't know how this can't be treated with a similar view of the law.
"I mean, this is, I think, one of the biggest frustrations among the American people is the two-tiered system of justice, and you have certain people that skate on these types of interfering acts and at the same time, you have folks that are pounded with 22 years in prison. It just can't be that one party is treated differently than another party supporters."
At the time Bowman pulled the alarm, Democrats were trying to delay the vote, complaining the Republicans were trying to vote before they had time to read the bill.
"Under [former Speaker] Nancy Pelosi's reign of terror, you had so many examples where members were punished for much less than this," Whitaker told Glasgow. "And again I point to others that have been charged to the fullest extent of the law, and then, you know, nothing happens to this member of Congress. I just think that sends the wrong tone.
"Obviously, actions have consequences, and I think this is an exact area where those actions certainly need to be dealt with pretty severely."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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