The issue of security on Capitol Hill remains a top concern for officials. As civil unrest continues to explode around the country, Washington is on high alert for internal problems.
For example, a recent arrest has rattled just about every lawmaker in D.C. It’s the sort of thing that shouldn’t be allowed to happen, and it’s causing security experts to rethink their approach.
This arrest involves potential spying — and everyone is wondering how it was allowed to happen.
Apparently, a 25-year-old man got a temporary job working on the lunch staff on Capitol Hill. As a contracted employee, he wasn’t officially on the Washington payroll.
This is a common occurrence but what happened immediately after absolutely is not common.
The man was arrested after authorities realized he might’ve been trying to secretly record politicians. Nobody knows why he wanted to do it, or what he’d use the footage for, but it seems clear it happened.
From Fox News:
Security officials on Capitol Hill are taking a fresh look at their policies after a Maryland man was arrested on charges of secretly recording Republican senators during a private lunch this month.
The man, a 25-year-old contract employee working on the lunch staff, allegedly set his phone to record for several hours before leaving it in the room with the senators.
He later returned with a police escort in an attempt to retrieve the device, only to find that one of the lawmakers had spotted it and handed it over to police, according to NBC News.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) called it “really concerning.”
And because so many senators are so often in the public sphere, their voices can be easily recognized by many people. This means the privacy of the lawmakers was greatly compromised.
Additionally, the meetings in question often contain private information and potentially classified info as well.
While the charges against the man were later dismissed, GOP officials remain furious. Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said the phone was found while in record mode in the food line.
There’s no knowing what the recording might’ve caught, though it’s likely authorities made the man erase it, whatever it was.
Even so, if any temp or contracted employee can simply bring a phone in – and all phones have recording capabilities these days – that should present a significant security hurdle.
What if that recording wound up on social media in the hours afterward, if the man hadn’t been caught and arrested?
Key Takeaways:
- A man was arrested for reportedly recording GOP senators during a private lunch meeting at the Capitol.
- Sen. Cynthia Lummis said it was “really concerning,” and security experts are reevaluating their rules.
Source: Fox News
