Ethics panel taking no action after Joyce Beatty’s arrest at protest

The House Ethics Committee announced on Monday that it will not take further action to investigate the arrest of Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), which occurred during a protest at the Capitol earlier this month.

Beatty, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested on July 15 after leading a group of pro-voting rights demonstrators into the Hart Senate Office Building. Capitol Police at the time said they arrested “two males and seven females” for “illegal demonstration activity” after being asked three times to leave.

The protest occurred amid a push by Democrats to pass voting rights legislation. Additionally, some protesters were calling for an end to the Senate filibuster, which has become a significant hurdle for enacting some new laws on Capitol Hill.

The Ethics Committee released a report on Monday that said it would not be taking subsequent action against Beatty.

“The legal proceedings related to her arrest are expected to be resolved with no further action,” the committee’s report reads.

The report says the panel determined that an investigative subcommittee to probe the matter was “not required in this matter.”

“The Committee has determined to take no further action in this matter, and upon publication of this Report, considers the matter closed,” the report added.

Beatty paid a $50 fine before she was released.

The congresswoman, following her arrest, compared the incident to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, telling a radio host that it was “ironic” how quickly she was arrested compared to the “thousands of thousands of people” who were “not peacefully protesting,” seemingly referring to the rioters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“Kind of ironic, isn’t it? That we were arrested quickly for violating the rule of it was illegal to protest as we were doing after being warned to stop. So, again, here we are with the disparities of treatment with less than 100 people and then thousands of thousands of people who were not peacefully protesting,” Beatty said.

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) was arrested last week with other demonstrators at a voting rights protest outside the Capitol.

He was detained outside the Hart Senate Office Building while attending the “Brothers Day of Action on Capitol Hill” voting rights protest, which was put together by Black Votes Matter.

Capitol Police told The Hill the demonstrators were arrested for “unlawfully demonstrating outside of the Hart Senate Office Building.”

Johnson’s spokesperson Andy Phelan told The Hill, “In the spirit of his dear friend and mentor — the late Congressman John Lewis — Rep. Johnson was getting in ‘good trouble’ fighting for and protecting civil and voting rights for all Americans.”

When reached by The Hill, Beatty’s office said it had no comment regarding the Ethics Committee report.

Marty Johnson contributed.