- Capitol Police have now completed their investigation into the September 30 incident, which Bowman’s office described as a mistake
Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been criminally charged with misdemeanor charges for pulling the fire alarm during a vote in the House of Representatives.
The September 30 incident took place in the Cannon House Office building.
The New York Democrat will be arraigned on Thursday.
Capitol Police have now completed their investigation into the September 30 incident, which Bowman’s office described as a mistake.
Bowman, a former school principal, said he pulled the alarm while rushing to open a door to get to a vote.
But the incident came as Democrats tried to delay a vote on a bill to extend the government funding deadline and prevent a government shutdown.
Democrat Jamal Bowman says claims that he purposefully pulled a fire alarm to disrupt Republicans in the House of Representatives as they debated an emergency bill to prevent a government shutdown are “BS.”
“I thought the alarm was going to open the door,” Bowman told reporters about the incident.
“I was rushing to vote, trying to get to a door.”
“(Bowman) generated a fire alarm in Cannon this morning,” a spokesperson for the Congressional Administration Committee said. “An investigation is underway into why it was withdrawn.”
Bowman called the idea that he pulled the fire alarm to delay a vote “complete BS.”
Rep. Bryan Steil, chairman of the House Administration Committee, said of the accusation: “Bowman’s apology does not pass the sniff test. After pulling the fire alarm, Representative Bowman fled the scene, passed multiple Capitol Police officers and had every opportunity to notify USCP of his mistake.”
