‘Occupy’ leader claims police ‘dragged’ him out of Kevin McCarthy presser for asking about Capitol riot commission

McCarthy spokesperson says ‘congressional staff had nothing to do [with] his removal’

Grant Stern, a Florida radio broadcaster and the executive editor of the progressive political organisation Occupy Democrats, tweeted out a video he says shows that he was removed by four police officers for asking House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about why he opposed the 6 January Commission.

“I tried to ask @GOPLeader McCarthy a question after he decried Cuban police pickup up (sic) people in the streets,” Mr Stern tweeted. “Why does he oppose the bipartisan #January6thCommission? A Congressional staffer had four cops pick me up and drag me from the room. I still asked the question.”

Matt Sparks, a spokesman for Mr McCarthy, said in an email to The Independent that “congressional staff had nothing to do [with] his removal”.

“How can you stay silent when you hear the cries of freedom?” Mr McCarthy can be heard saying in the video. “You see the oppression of people being picked up in streets.”

When the minority leader finishes speaking, a man from behind the camera can be heard saying: “Minority leader, you said that the 1960 revolution created tyranny on the island of Cuba and I am asking you a question.”

The camera then starts to move around. With a raised voice, he continues, “It’s not a Democratic or Republican issue, so why do you oppose the January 6th commission, sir?” The camera then starts to shake more and more as he appears to slowly leave the room.

In an email to The Independent, Mr Stern said: “I don’t understand why Minority Leader McCarthy is talking about freedom to hold elections in Cuba, but he’s so afraid of my questions about America’s freedom to elect its president. When he saw me being dragged away, why didn’t he speak up and stop it?”

He added: “In America, our first amendment rights to press freedom are sacrosanct and Minority Leader McCarthy just stood by as they were violated. I am disgusted by his inaction.”

House Democrats launched a select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection after a 9/11-style independent commission was blocked by Republicans in the Senate.

The House Republican Leader announced his opposition to such a commission in May. He cited other bipartisan efforts to look into the riot, a security review that was ongoing at the time, and the hundreds of arrests already made by the Department of Justice.

“For months, the Speaker of the House refused to negotiate in good faith on basic parameters that would govern a commission to examine the January 6 attack on the US Capitol,” Mr McCarthy said in a statement on 18 May.

“Republican requests for fair representation and an unbiased premise from which to begin such an investigation were always understood to be the starting point for bipartisan negotiations, not the end result,” he added.

“Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker’s shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation,” Mr McCarthy concluded at the time.