DC attorney general finally does the right thing, drops criminal charges against Gold Star father who interrupted Biden
Gold Star father Steve Nikoui is no longer facing criminal charges for interrupting President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address earlier this month.
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) dropped all charges against Nikoui on Tuesday, Fox News reported. Schwalb’s office told the outlet that Schwalb chose not to prosecute Nikoui because his office routinely drops minor cases against protesters.
According to Fox News, Nikoui was “thrilled and humbled” when he learned of the news from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).
Nikoui — whose son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, was one of 13 American soldiers killed during Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal — attended the SOTU as a guest of Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.).
But he was removed from the House Gallery for screaming at Biden and interrupting his speech.
“Remember Abbey Gate?!” Nikoui roared. “United States Marines! Kareem Nikoui!”
Capitol Police officers quickly escorted Nikoui out of the House Gallery and briefly arrested him. The officers justified the arrest by claiming Nikoui had previously been warned to stop but did not.
The Capitol Police said in a statement at the time:
Tonight at approximately 10:15 p.m., a man disrupted the State of the Union address by yelling. Our officers warned him to stop and when he did not, the man was removed from the House Galleries and was arrested for D.C. Code § 22–1307 – Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding. Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is illegal.
Several House Republicans, including Issa and Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), had tried to intervene in the days after Nikoui’s arrest.
But it wasn’t until Speaker Mike Johnson (R) intervened, according to Rep. Mast, that Schwalb finally agreed to do the right thing and drop the charges.
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