Newly released footage confirms Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) threw emergency warning signs to the ground before pulling a House office building fire alarm in September, as first reported exclusively by Breitbart News the day of the crime.
The footage, first obtained by Kevin Frey of Spectrum News NY1, shows Bowman fleeing the scene immediately after pulling the alarm without attempting to open the door.
Bowman earlier claimed he pulled the Cannon House Office Building alarm thinking it would open the door, insisting he was trying to make a vote in the Capitol before it closed.
However, Republicans have alleged Bowman instead intended to shut down the Capitol and delay the vote, giving Senate negotiators more time to construct a government spending bill more palatable to Democrats.
“I don’t know why this has gotten so much attention,” said Bowman at the time. “I was literally just in a rush to go vote, man! That’s all it was!”
The video clearly contradicts Bowman’s claim, with Bowman at no point trying to access the door after pulling the alarm, immediately rushing from the area.
Breitbart News sources confirmed Bowman sprung down a set of stairs and left the building through another exit.
The D.C. Attorney General (AG) criminally charged Bowman Wednesday with a misdemeanor for pulling the alarm. The charge carried a maximum prison time of six months.
Yet later that day, Bowman and the AG reached an agreement for Bowman to avoid jail time and get his charge dropped in three months by simply paying a $1,000 fine and writing a formal apology letter to the U.S. Capitol Police.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note that Kevin Frey of Spectrum News NY1 first obtained the footage of Bowman.
Follow Bradley Jaye on Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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