The House Ethics Committee rejected Rep. Louie Gohmert’s appeal of a $5,000 fine levied against him for evading the new metal detectors outside the House chamber in early February after he stepped out of the chamber to use the nearby restroom and then returned to the floor.
Gohmert filed a colorful and strongly-worded five-page letter of appeal to the Ethics panel on Feb. 26 after being notified on Feb. 5 of a fine for a “failure to complete security screening” outside the House chamber one day prior.
My favorite bit of the story:
Gohmert contends that he was fully screened to enter the House chamber, but stepped out of the chamber to use the members-only restroom just outside of the Speaker’s Lobby and returned to the chamber through the Speaker’s Lobby, where there was not a metal detector.