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maleficent · 04-04-2006, 09:54 AM

Congresswoman could face criminal charges

Quote:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Prosecutors are discussing whether to file criminal charges against Rep. Cynthia McKinney over an altercation between the congresswoman and a U.S. Capitol Police officer, officials said.

Three federal law enforcement officials familiar with the case said Monday that Capitol Police have completed their investigation and presented their findings to prosecutors.

However, the officials said no decision has been made on whether to issue an arrest warrant against the Georgia Democrat, and her attorney called reports that police were seeking an arrest warrant "not true."

"They are doing no more than any other law enforcement agency does, and that is simply to file with the prosecutors the necessary paperwork for them to further investigate the case," attorney James Myart said. "That's all it is."

Officials said it was unclear when a decision might be made. The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Kenneth Wainstein, is expected to consult with other Justice Department officials before making a decision.

McKinney, appearing with her attorneys Monday on CNN, declined to answer questions about what happened between her and the officer at a security checkpoint outside a House office building. But she said the incident was an example of racial profiling.

"I don't understand exactly why it is that certain police officers have a problem remembering my face," McKinney said, noting that she is one of 14 black women among the 535 members of Congress. "The issue is racial profiling, and that's something that we're going to have to deal with as a country."

McKinney also said that, within the ranks of the Capitol Police, "there are problems inside with ... the respect for diversity." She did not elaborate, but Myart pointed to a discrimination suit filed by more than 250 black officers against the department.

McKinney and an unidentified Capitol Police officer got into a confrontation Wednesday afternoon at a security checkpoint at the entrance to a House office building as she was going around a metal detector.

Members of Congress are allowed to bypass metal detectors. But the officer did not recognize her, and, by her own admission, she was not wearing a pin that identified her as a congresswoman.

What happened next has become a matter of dispute, with allegations that McKinney struck or touched the officer after he touched or grabbed her, depending on different versions of the events.

Myart said the Capitol Police have indicated to him that there "may very well be a video" of the confrontation. But he said he has not seen it.

In reaction to the incident, House Republicans on Tuesday pushed for a vote on a resolution that would commend police for professionalism but would not specifically mention McKinney or the confrontation. (Full story)

McKinney: Hairstyle shouldn't be issue
In her interview Monday with CNN's "The Situation Room," McKinney scoffed at suggestions that her change of hairstyle in January might have been the reason the officer did not recognize her.

"If the security of the House of Representatives of the United States is based on how members of Congress wear their hair ... I think this is really ridiculous," she said. "My face hasn't changed."

McKinney said teenage House pages, as part of their job, are required to recognize members of Congress on sight.

"Don't you think that the United States Capitol Police ought to also know the members of Congress by name and by face?" she asked.

McKinney also said many members of Congress do not wear their identification pins -- and that because the pins are "a piece of jewelry" rather than a photo ID, they are an inadequate security precaution for police officers who can't recognize members.

Defeated, then re-elected 2 years later
McKinney, 51, represents Georgia's 4th Congressional District, a majority-black district on the east side of metro Atlanta. First elected in 1992, she was defeated in 2002 after making controversial comments, including a claim that the Bush administration had warning of the September 11, 2001, attacks but took no action.

McKinney made a comeback in 2004, winning her old seat after the candidate who defeated her two years earlier, Denise Majette, decided to run for the Senate instead of seeking re-election. Since returning to Washington, McKinney had kept a lower profile -- at least until last week.

McKinney previously complained of incidents in which she was not recognized as a member of Congress, both on Capitol Hill and at the White House. In 1998, she demanded and received an apology from the Clinton administration after White House guards stopped her.

The woman clearly has issues with not being recognized.. maybe she should wear a sign saying who she is...