7 arrested in House office building linked to Colbert show
U.S. Capitol Police say officers detained seven unauthorized people in a congressional office building Thursday night and charged them with unlawful entry
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.U.S. Capitol Police said Friday that officers detained seven unauthorized people in a congressional office building Thursday night and charged them with unlawful entry.
The people identified themselves as being affiliated with CBS' “Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Another person familiar with the matter provided the AP with a list of nine people who had been stopped by Capitol Police. They included several producers, along with Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
The two people who spoke with the AP could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The incident Thursday night followed the third public hearing by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Capitol Police said they received a call about a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building around 8:30 p.m. “Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway,” the agency said in a statement. “The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.”
The USCP statement said the case remains “an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges.” Capitol Police, departing from standard practice, refused to provide the names of the people who were arrested.