Friday, June 4, 2021

Pelosi's Punishment for Violating Security Screening, Mask Mandates Faces Legal Test; House GOP Fights Back Against Mask, Metal Detector Fines

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Pelosi's punishment for violating security screening, mask mandates faces legal test:
Republicans looking to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s fines for violating her security screening and mask mandates may have gained ammunition this month when the sole Democrat to face a fine — Rep. James E. Clyburn — had his penalty expunged.
The House Ethics Committee’s decision to let Mr. Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat, off the hook left Republican lawmakers scratching their heads. They said the disparity in punishment adds to their complaints that the fines are insulting and unconstitutional.
Rep. Andrew S. Clyde, a Georgia Republican who was fined, said his case is similar to Mr. Clyburn’s. He said the fact that the Democrat’s appeal was approved while his own was denied suggests a double standard, and he fired off a letter to the Ethics Committee demanding it turn over all documents and reconsider his appeal.
“I welcome the Committee on Ethics to reconsider my case based on their most recently established precedents. Should they choose not to reconsider, I am eager to have my day in court to stop Democrats from further trampling on our cherished Constitutional rights,” Mr. Clyde told The Washington Times in a statement. --->READ MORE HERE
House GOP fights back against mask, metal detector fines:
GOP lawmakers are doing everything they can to avoid paying fines for running afoul of rules imposed by Democrats that require masks and security screenings before entering the House chamber.
At least six Republicans have been fined in recent days for protesting the House floor mask requirement, adding to five others since February who were penalized for failing to complete security screenings.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) responded to a $500 mask fine by tweeting a photo of the notification thrown into a trash can, while Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said on Fox News this past week that he is "not, by any means, going to willingly give [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi one penny from this world."
Lawmakers can appeal the fines to the House Ethics Committee, which so far has upheld metal detector penalties against two Republicans and dropped two others against Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).
The hefty monetary enforcements are yet another example of the distrust that has deepened since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Democrats say they can't count on certain Republicans to abide by safety measures, while GOP lawmakers argue the fines are an unnecessary power grab by the House majority.
Failing to wear a mask results in a $500 fine for the first offense, followed by $2,500 for subsequent violations. --->READ MORE HERE

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