Democrat Bowman investigated for pulling fire alarm before House vote
FOX News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports that Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., could face charges or an ethics investigation for pulling the fire alarm before the House voted on the spending bill.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., was called out again on Monday for a statement he issued condemning his office's "messaging guidance" on him pulling the fire alarm, which referred to his Republican colleagues as "Nazis."
The progressive congressman pulled the fire alarm on Saturday as lawmakers were scrambling to pass a stopgap bill that would avert a government shutdown.
Bowman's office circulated a memo to his Democratic colleagues on Monday, urging them to defend him publicly with suggested arguments as Republicans continue to demand his expulsion from Congress over the incident. One proposed talking point in the memo, titled "Messaging Guidance: Supporting Congressman Jamaal Bowman After Accidental Fire Alarm," targeted "Nazi members" of the GOP.
Bowman eventually condemned the messaging guidance that referred to "Nazi members" of the GOP.
U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman speaks at Grammys On The Hill: Advocacy Day on April 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. ((Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for The Recording Academy))
BOWMAN DEFENDS FIRE ALARM SCANDAL BY REPEATING TALKING POINT ABOUT BEING IN A ‘RUSH TO VOTE’
"I just became aware that in our messaging guidance, there was inappropriate use of the term Nazi without my consent," he wrote. "I condemn the use of the term Nazi out of its precise definition. It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party & neo-Nazis."
Republican lawmakers and members of the media criticized Bowman's statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said it was "terrifying" that Bowman was "ever a school principal."
Others suggested Bowman was just digging himself a deeper hole, as Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said Bowman should "put the shovel down."
REP. BOWMAN SHOCKS MEDIA, CONSERVATIVES WITH ‘GARBAGE’ STATEMENT AFTER PULLING FIRE ALARM
Journalists and more also took note of the condemnation, as Fox News Contributor Joe Concha said Bowman was having a bad week.
The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey laid out the order of events in response to Bowman's statement.
"So he pulls fire alarm. His office sends out talking points to encourage Dems to deflect by discussing ‘Nazi’ Republicans. Then his office deletes talking points because they leaked and mocked. Then he throws his office under the bus for talking points. Do I have this right?" he wrote on X.
Other's described it as a communications "meltdown" and an "utter disaster."
Bowman told reporters on Monday that he was rushing to make the vote and that he didn't understand why it was getting so much attention.
"You know, I don't know why this has gotten so much attention," Bowman told reporters outside his office on Monday. "I was literally just in a rush to go vote, man."
"Listen, I take responsibility for what I did, you know, but like I said, I was in a rush to go vote. And, you know, the investigation will sort everything else out," he continued.
House Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm at a congressional office building on Saturday (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty)
Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.
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