New York Congressman Jamaal “Fire Alarm” Bowman’s troubles may not be over just yet. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) has concluded an investigation into last month’s incident where Bowman set off a fire alarm just before a critical vote to avoid a government shutdown and determined that he violated Congressional ethics rules by causing the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building. The group stated that Bowman “failed to conduct himself in a manner that reflects credibility on the House.” The House Ethics Committee will now take up the investigation. (NY Post)
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) broke House ethics rules when he pulled a fire alarm as the lower chamber was rushing a vote to avoid a partial government shutdown last month, according to a conservative group.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics on Thursday, saying that the far-left Bronx and Westchester congressman failed to conduct himself “in a manner that reflects creditably on the House,” according to a copy of the file obtained by The Post.
Photos have circulated showing Bowman pulling the alarm with the word “FIRE” clearly written on its face Sept. 30, with signs posted nearby that read “Emergency Exit Only!” and “Push until alarm sounds (3 seconds). Door will unlock in 30 seconds.”
FACT is, of course, a non-governmental entity with no ability to impose penalties on members of Congress. The group was formed as a counterbalance to liberal organizations like CREW that generally only tend to notice ethical lapses if they are committed by Republicans. All they can really do is submit complaints and investigatory results to the House Committee on Ethics for consideration.
The Committee itself is also somewhat limited in its options. They can’t conduct criminal proceedings, though in the most severe cases they can move to have members expelled from Congress. Far more often, though, the results of a negative finding will wind up being a Censure, a Reprimand, a Letter of Reproval, or a Letter of Reprimand. (All of which Bowman could simply ignore and go about his business after being called into the well to be scolded.)
This feels like something that should really rise above the level of an ethics complaint, at least as far as I’m concerned. Pulling a false fire alarm in the District of Columbia is actually a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or six months in jail. (Not that I think they would ever dare to lock him up for that.) But if the J6 Committee taught us anything, it’s that Bowman’s actions were almost certainly far more serious. While he continues to implausibly try to deny it, Bowman obviously seemed to be trying to stall the vote on the budget deal and force a shutdown that most Democrats feel would have benefitted their party.
By delaying a vote in Congress, Bowman clearly seems to have been engaged in Obstructing An Official Proceeding inside the Capitol. And you can be sent to prison for years if you do that. Just ask the hundreds of other people currently cooling their heels behind bars after being convicted of the same thing because they were there on January 6. Luckily for Bowman, I don’t think they could hit him with the dreaded charge of “Parading.”
Meanwhile, in other news, Republicans have introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) over her Palestinian flag and her response to the terror attacks in Israel. Ho hum. Just another day on the Hill I suppose.
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