Rep. Maxine Waters is accusing Fox News of deception after the network published a report saying she requested protection from U.S. marshals aboard a flight.
Waters, a frequent critic of law enforcement, called Fox News’s report detailing her request for accompaniment from U.S. marshals as she traveled to Minneapolis to attend the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin “an absolute lie.”
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“I have never requested law enforcement protection on my flights. Deceitful, lying Fox ‘News’ must be stopped,” she said.
In a more detailed press statement released later Saturday evening, Waters said Fox News is “an organization that charades as a news outlet while manufacturing lies, claiming them as truths, and using their platform that reaches millions of Americans as a vessel to spread misinformation.”
“Let it be made clear that I have never requested or utilized any Capitol Police, Secret Service, or U.S. Air Marshal presence on that flight or any of my flights,” she continued, adding that the report stemmed from leaked documents outlining a security threat assessment that included Waters’s flight information but did not contain a request for added security.
Waters added that Capitol Police is now investigating the source of the “deeply distrubing” leak, which she said “puts [her] life at risk.”
The Fox News article said a complaint filed with the House Committee on Ethics claimed Waters, who was already accompanied by two armed officers with the Capitol Police and two U.S. Secret Service agents, requested two air marshals and two more marshals on touchdown to escort her in the airport.
“Congresswoman Maxine Waters utilized numerous government resources inappropriately,” the complaint reportedly read. “Federal Air Marshals were removed from a “High Risk” flight to cover Ms. Waters flight to Minnesota. The High Risk flight took off with no armed law enforcement on board leaving a gap in National Security.”
Sonya Hightower LaBosco, the executive director of the Air Marshal National Council, told the outlet that U.S. air marshals were removed from missions deemed “high risk” and reassigned to Waters’s flight.
“We still don’t have any justification as to why government resources were utilized to fly Miss Waters out to Minnesota,” Hightower LaBasco added.
Waters made headlines for her controversial statements and actions during Chauvin’s trial. Shortly before a verdict was returned, the California Democrat demanded that Chauvin be found “guilty, guilty, guilty” in the killing of Floyd following an arrest in Minneapolis last May.
“We’re looking for a guilty verdict,” she told a crowd of protesters. “And we’re looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd, if nothing does not happen, then we know that we’ve got to not only stay in the street, but we’ve got to fight for justice.”
Her remarks drew condemnation from Judge Peter Cahill, the judge who presided over Chauvin’s Minneapolis trial, who said Waters’s comments demanding a guilty verdict for Chauvin could result in the trial being overturned.
“I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned,” Cahill said in response to comments by a defense attorney.
Although Waters dismissed Cahill’s concerns, Chauvin’s attorney subsequently filed a motion requesting a new trial, saying the Hennepin County District Court “abused its discretion” on a number of matters and denied Chauvin a “fair trial.”
On April 20, a Minnesota jury convicted Chauvin of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He could face up to decades behind bars, and his potential prison sentence could be lengthened after Cahill ruled on Wednesday there were “aggravating factors” involved in Floyd’s death.
Floyd died after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin, a 45-year-old white man, was seen placing his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd, who was black, repeatedly said he could not breathe.
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Chauvin is scheduled to be sentenced in June, with experts predicting he won’t face more than 30 years in prison.
Representatives for the Air Marshal National Council did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. A representative for Fox News declined to comment.
