Police arrested seven people at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night, saying they were unaccompanied and did not have proper identification at a time when the building was closed to visitors.
The group was part of a production team in the Capitol building on Wednesday and Thursday to record interviews for a comedy segment with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a bearded puppy vomiting barbs, for “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, “he said. a CBS statement.
U.S. Capitol police received a call around 8:30 a.m. Thursday about a disturbance in the Longworth House office building, authorities said Friday. Officers saw seven unidentified members of Congress and were not escorted down a sixth-floor hallway, they said.
Capitol police said the group had been ordered to leave the building early in the day. Members of the group were charged with illegal entry.
“This is an active investigation and could lead to additional criminal charges after consulting with the U.S. Attorney,” a Capitol police statement said.
Congress has held hearings on the January 6, 2021 attack on the building, when supporters of President Donald J. Trump violently stormed the complex.
In a statement released after Thursday’s arrests, CBS said interviews at the Capitol had been previously authorized and arranged through congressional aides of the members who were interviewed.
“After leaving the members’ offices in their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in theaters when they were arrested by Capitol police.” says the statement.
Neither Capitol police nor CBS released the names of members of the group. The U.S. District Attorney for Columbia District could not be reached immediately Friday night to discuss the arrests.