House Ethics Committee opts to not investigate Squad member for fire-alarm incident

The Republican-led House Ethics Committee has decided not to investigate Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s conduct when the lawmaker pulled a fire alarm during debate on a bill to avert a government shutdown.

The committee announced Wednesday that the panel would not move ahead with creating an investigative subcommittee nor draft a report on Mr. Bowman’s conduct, after a majority of the members on the committee voted against the move.

“A majority of the members of the committee did not agree to establish an ISC or report to the House regarding Representative Bowman’s conduct,” said committee Chair Michael Guest, Mississippi Republican.

Mr. Bowman, New York Democrat and a member of the far-left “Squad”, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors, which resulted in the lawmaker paying a $1,000 fine, receiving three months of probation and the requirement to make a formal apology for his actions. He had been charged with a misdemeanor by the D.C. Attorney General for making a false alarm, which spurred the panel to consider an investigation into the lawmaker’s conduct.

Mr. Bowman’s office did not respond immediately to a request for comment from The Washington Times on the decision.

Republican lawmakers heavily criticized Mr. Bowman’s actions, with lawmakers calling for his arrest, expulsion or censure. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, New York Republican, introduced a resolution last month that has 16 cosponsors to expel Mr. Bowman from Congress, but it has not been taken up by House leadership.

At the time he was caught on security video pulling the alarm, Mr. Bowman said it was a mistake and that he was rushing to make it to a floor vote.

The alarm forced the evacuation of a House Office building on Sept. 30 while Democratic lawmakers frantically scrambled to find more time to decide on whether to support the stopgap spending bill that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, had just put on the floor for a vote.

The bill passed with Mr. Bowman voting in favor of it.