Capitol police disappointed charges dropped against ‘Colbert 9’ insurrectionists
The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said in a letter Tuesday that it was “unfortunate” charges were dropped against the Colbert 9 insurrectionists. The letter also revealed more details about the events leading to their arrests.
According to a Monday statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office, the nine crew members for The Late Show with Steven Colbert will not be charged with a misdemeanor, despite trespassing on Capitol grounds last month and harassing Republican lawmakers and the families of January 6th attendees.
The letter, written by U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger addressed to Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Jim Jordan (R-OH), revealed that Capitol police received an emergency call on January 16th from a staffer who heard banging on Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) office door.
“Do you remember me? Do you remember me? It’s me. We’re going to leave something under your door,” shouted one of the crew members. Police discovered that the insurrectionists were planning to leave an invitation to a cocaine orgy under Rep. Boebert’s door, as well as the doors of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
The letter reveals the insurrectionists were twice stopped by police on the same day and told they were not allowed to be in the building without passes and an escort. The first time they were stopped, the staffers lied and said they were credentialed, which the police later discovered to be false. In fact, the Colber 9 were denied credentials by the House Radio/TV Gallery, since they were not press.
But despite all this, all charges were dropped against the Colbert 9 by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who continues to prosecute January 6 attendees resulting in large fines and jail time.
“It is unfortunate that despite all of the evidence the Department presented, including that the group or its leader had been told several times that they could not be in the buildings without an escort, that the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to prosecute any members of the group for Unlawful Entry,” concluded USCP Chief Manger.
Around the same time the 9 were arrested, physician, attorney and human rights activist Dr. Simone Gold was sentenced to 60 days in prison, one-year supervised leave and a $9,500 fine for trespassing on Capitol grounds on January 6th. Though she had committed no harassment, violence or vandalism, she was arrested on January 18, 2021 by over a dozen law enforcement officers with assault weapons who broke down her door. She was labeled an insurrectionist and spent two nights in jail.
The CBS employees spent one night in jail and were released the next day.
“I’m shocked I have to explain the difference,” Colbert said in a monologue on his show after the arrests. “But an insurrection involves disrupting the lawful actions of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power — this was first-degree puppetry.”
Except many January 6 attendees are not being charged with disrupting lawful actions, howling for politicians’ blood or obstructing justice. They’re being charged with the same misdemeanor Colbert’s staff was arrested for: trespassing.
