Acting U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., Edward Martin, said on Monday that his office will look into whether Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) should face charges over an alleged incident on Capitol Hill last week.
The event took place on Tuesday when Charles Downs, a podcaster connected to right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, got close to Crockett and pushed his camera phone into her face. In the video, shared by Loomer and others in the MAGA community, Crockett appears to stretch out her hand and block the camera while continuing to talk with a Republican senator. The video cuts off before anything further happens.
Martin said in a statement on X, “As I’ve said from Day One, no one is above the law. This matter is currently under review by law enforcement authorities. If it is referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will follow the proper procedures to determine whether charges are appropriate.”
His statement came after Downs posted on X, saying that a “very big development” had occurred. Downs had filed a police report with Capitol Police last week, accusing Crockett of assault, battery, and attempted theft of his phone.
In a video posted on his X account, Downs told his followers, “I just left a formal with the United States Capitol Police. I had to fill out some more forms, talk about the horrific incident where Congressman Crockett reached for my phone, scratching me, just because I asked her a question about her involvement in a Tesla takedown.”
He added, “So now, my formal complaint has officially been moved to the United States Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C., and we will see what happens.”
https://t.co/EsljKJ62Ie pic.twitter.com/IHM2VfH66H
— U.S. Attorney Ed Martin (@USAEdMartin) March 31, 2025
