Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) office urged his Democrat colleagues to distract from his fire alarm incident by writing on social media that Republicans should focus on the “Nazi members of their party before anything else.”
Bowman, who has admitted to pulling the fire alarm on Saturday in a House office building, is under investigation by U.S. Capitol Police and by congressional investigators. He claims that he pulled the fire alarm because he was trying to get out of the building to go vote and that he thought that pulling the alarm would open the door.
Bowman’s office sent out guidance to other House Democrats urging them to support him online as he faces calls for expulsion and punishment.
His office claimed that he was confused by signage near the door where he pulled the fire alarm that warned that the door was an emergency exit only.
Among the “suggested talking points” that Bowman’s team sent to other Democrats were the following:
- “It is an extreme reach on the part of MAGA Republicans to assert that Rep Bowman intended to harm or destruct anyone or thing. The exact opposite is true: he was trying to do his job.”
- “I believe Congressman Bowman when he says this was an accident. Republicans need to instead focus their energy on the Nazi members of their party before anything else.”
- “There are multiple insurrectionist supporters in Congress and more who supported a coup and support Trump’s Big Lie. That’s what they should be focused on. Instead their focus on Rep. Bowman is an attempt to minimize January 6th.”
After the “suggested talking points” blew up online, Bowman put out a statement claiming that he knew nothing about it and he did not consent to it.
“I just became aware that in our messaging guidance, there was inappropriate use of the term Nazi without my consent,” he claimed. “I condemn the use of the term Nazi out of its precise definition. It is important to specify the term Nazi to refer to members of the Nazi party & neo-Nazis.”