Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge on Oct. 26 for falsely activating a fire alarm at a congressional building on Capitol Hill last month.
Mr. Bowman spoke to reporters about the Sept. 30 incident before entering the courthouse, asserting that he wasn’t trying to “disrupt” official government proceedings with his actions. As to pulling the alarm, the lawmaker said: “I admitted that from the very beginning. So, you know, got to take responsibility.”
Mr. Bowman was charged with a misdemeanor on Oct. 25 for falsely activating a fire alarm at a congressional building. Court documents from the District of Columbia Superior Court say the New York lawmaker knowingly pulled the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Sept. 30 while the House prepared to vote on stopgap government funding legislation.
The alarm forced the 30-minute-long evacuation of a House office building. The New York lawmaker admitted to pulling the alarm but claimed that it was a mistake as he rushed to vote through an unexpectedly closed door.
At the time of the evacuation, House Democrats were attempting to delay a vote on a funding bill to keep federal agencies open, claiming that they needed more time to examine a bill that Republicans had released unexpectedly to prevent a government shutdown. The funding measure was ultimately approved with the support of a majority of Republicans and nearly all Democrats, including Mr. Bowman.
The false fire alarm charge is expected to be dropped after the lawmaker pays a $1,000 fine and serves three months of probation, per an agreement with prosecutors.
The affidavit in support of the arrest warrant for Mr. Bowman notes that the alarm led to the evacuation of the Cannon building. The document pointed to security footage that shows Mr. Bowman approaching a set of doors and, after he attempts to exit, pulling the fire alarm, then walking away from the exit doors.
Mr. Bowman previously acknowledged activating the alarm at the time but denied intentionally doing so for the purpose of delaying the vote, saying that he mistakenly thought the pull-down trigger in the alarm box would open the door. He also said that he was in a panic to return to the floor for the vote.
Republicans have criticized Mr. Bowman, calling his explanation an “excuse” and pointing out that he passed multiple police officers without informing them that he had activated the alarm.
Mr. Bowman stated that he didn’t inform officers of the error because he was in a rush to cast the ballot and didn’t want to delay it. The case was filed by the attorney general’s office of the District of Columbia, which stated that Mr. Bowman was “treated like anyone else who violates the law.”
As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Bowman is also anticipated to formally apologize to Capitol police. The lawmaker told reporters that there was “a deal in place,” and he was “looking forward to paying the fine and three months later being dismissed” and continuing to work.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) called for the lawmaker to be expelled and said shortly after the incident, “This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school.”
Ms. Malliotakis also referred to Mr. Bowman’s previous career. “Of all people, a high school principal knows what a fire alarm does. No one is buying the excuses and he must be held accountable!” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called for an investigation of Mr. Bowman’s actions at the time.
“I think ethics should look at this,” he said during a news conference after the temporary government funding bill was approved by the House. Mr. McCarthy went on to say that Mr. Bowman’s actions “should not go without punishment.”
Mr. Bowman’s office didn’t immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
