SCOTUS upholds $5,000 fine against Smucker for dodging metal detectors in Capitol after Jan. 6

• By Jaxon White/LNP | LancasterOnline

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review $5,000 fines levied against U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker and two other House Republicans for bypassing extra security measures installed outside the House floor after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The court chose not to hear the GOP lawmakers’ appeal, effectively upholding the lower court’s ruling against Smucker and the two other lawmakers — Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and the since-retired Louie Gohmert of Texas — who did not pass through metal detectors on their way into the House chamber.

Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, who helped represent the lawmakers, said he was concerned that the court’s decision could lead to other House members being denied access to the court in the future.

In February 2021, the House adopted a rule that any lawmaker caught bypassing security would be fined $5,000 on the first offense and $10,000 for every subsequent offense.

Smucker was fined in June of that year after multiple U.S. Capitol Police officers reported that he had entered the House floor “while disregarding clearly stated verbal directions” given by officers.

After entering the chamber and voting in favor of legislation regarding drugs to treat rare diseases and disorders, officers said Smucker exited and was screened by security. He was then allowed to reenter the chamber.

Smucker’s spokesman, Eric Reath, didn’t respond to requests for comments.

Clyde was fined more than once for not going through the screening. He later referred to the metal detectors as an example of the “authoritarian rule” of Nancy Pelosi, who as House speaker had the security measures adopted after pro-Donald Trump rioters attacked the Capitol Building in an attempt to overthrow the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Gohmert said in February 2022 that he had exited the chamber to use a washroom and didn’t know at the time that he had to go through security again to reenter the chamber.

All three Republicans refused to pay the fines after losing their appeals to the House ethics committee.

Each had the sums docked from their paychecks.

The lawmakers ultimately asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the constitutionality of the “massive fines” and the general idea of the added security measures, which they say caused some lawmakers to miss votes on the House floor.

None of the lawmakers had issued public comments on the court’s ruling as of Tuesday afternoon.

The metal detectors’ installation was controversial among House members in 2021, narrowly passing by only a handful of votes.

Republican leaders promptly removed the metal detectors when they took control of the chamber last year.

Tourists and visitors to the Capitol still must pass through metal detectors and security screenings.