Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Pennsylvania Republican, failed to convince members of the House Ethics Committee to drop the $5,000 metal detector fine he received for a screening violation.
“A majority of the Committee did not agree to the appeal,” said a statement from Chairman Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat, and ranking member Jackie Walorski, an Indiana Republican.
According to Capitol Police, Smucker, first elected in 2016, walked into the House floor’s East Lobby entrance on May 19 without being screened.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS FILE LAWSUIT OVER METAL DETECTOR FINES
“Representative Smucker entered into the lobby and continued on to the House floor for a vote. The congressman was informed before entering the floor that he did not complete screening and continued on to the floor regardless,” one witness in the police report stated.
Smucker is the sixth lawmaker to be fined for violating the House metal detector protocols. Five Republicans and one Democrat have been hit with penalties, but only two, Rep. Hal Rogers, a Kentucky Republican, and Rep. Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, had their fines dropped by the committee. The 10-member House panel is evenly split among Republicans and Democrats.
The other two lawmakers who failed to persuade the committee to drop their fines are GOP Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Louie Gohmert of Texas.
Both Republicans filed a lawsuit against the House sergeant-at-arms and the chief administrative officer over the metal detector rule established by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority back in January.
Under the rule, H.R. 73, House members are penalized $5,000 for the first metal detector violation and $10,000 for any following penalty.
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Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican, was also penalized for a metal detector violation, but it is unknown if she appealed her fine to the committee.
