House Republican Fined For Skipping Security — After Calling It A Lie By Reporter
Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said that a reporter who witnessed her bypassing new House security measures was spreading false information. Now, she’s been fined for it, after Capitol Police reported the same thing.
Back in January, immediately after new security protocols were implemented due to the Capitol breach, reporter Matt Fuller documented several Republican members of Congress dodging security, failing to go through metal detectors, and otherwise ignoring protocols. One of these, Virginia Foxx, denied it, saying that media shouldn’t run stories based on tweets from reporters (despite said reporter being on the scene as a witness) and decrying it as sensationalism.
Rep. Virginia Foxx sets off the metal detectors and keeps walking to the floor.
“Good morning, guys,” Foxx says as she passes through.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 13, 2021
Fuller responded, reiterating what he had seen, and addressing the implication that he had lied.
Rep. Virginia Foxx absolutely walked through the metal detector, set it off, and kept walking.
I’m not going to make up a story. https://t.co/NCzS5i6Tq6
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 13, 2021
Government work moves slowly, but now, four months later, Fuller has his vindication — Foxx has been fined, after Capitol Police reported the same thing that he did. A copy of the letter from the U.S. Capitol Police is below, and the original can be found here, as PDF, at the official site of the House Ethics Committee.
The letter describes Foxx setting off the magnetometer, then hurrying away to vote without stopping to complete screening, returning to the screening area after her vote, where she’s reported to have said something appreciative about officers failing to stop her. An “unknown reporter” is mentioned, and quoted as letting police know he’d be covering the story.
A May 18th Press Release from the House Ethics Committee confirms the fine, and reiterates that Foxx has the opportunity to appeal this.
Foxx has not publicly addressed that this corroborates reports she previously called false.
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