A reporter asked Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) whether he still stood by his statement that he had accidentally triggered a fire alarm in the Canon Office Building the day before the House voted on the budget over the weekend.
Bowman remarked that he can’t figure out why this topic has received so much coverage, saying flippantly that he was simply rushing to vote.
Before the House continuing resolution vote, Bowman was allegedly seen on surveillance footage pulling the fire alarm.
The reporter wanted to know if he was worried about getting in trouble with the Capitol police or House leadership.
Bowman said he accepted responsibility for what he did but reiterated that he was in a rush to go vote and the investigation would sort it all out.
The reporter then asked Bowman if he had discussed the matter with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Bowman said. “of course, that’s normal,” adding that he has to keep the discussion between him and Jeffries. He told the reporter that they’ve been in constant communication.
Bowman has maintained his story’s consistency throughout the entire controversy, that he noticed a door that is usually open for voters but was locked. He said he feels terrible admitting that he accidentally set off the fire alarm when he thought it would unlock the door. He apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused and wants to clarify that he did not try to prolong any vote, saying that he was frantically attempting to get to a voice so that he could join his colleagues in a “bipartisan effort to keep our government open.”
Many Republicans, including President Trump, demanded that Bowman be held accountable for his role in the false fire alarm and be prosecuted and imprisoned.
As New York Attorney General Letitia Jones said about her Trump indictment, “No one is above the law.”
