GOP Rep Summoned Cops Just To Test Response Time

The Huffington Post reports:

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) made two false calls for emergency help from U.S. Capitol Police last week ― just to see how long it would take for officers to arrive, according to two Capitol Police officers.

Fortenberry told Capitol Police he wanted to test the duress button in his office, which signals an emergency situation. It was an unusual request, but one that Capitol Police agreed to, these officers said. So when Fortenberry pushed the button, they didn’t respond, because they knew it was a test.

However, according to the officers, it turns out the Republican lawmaker wasn’t testing the device itself; he was testing how quickly police would come to his office. When they didn’t come, he pushed the button a second time.

Read the full article. Fortenberry was among the 126 House Republicans who signed an amicus brief in support of overturning Biden’s win.

NEW: A Republican congressman made 2 false emergency calls to Capitol Police last week — just to test how quickly they’d come to his office. https://t.co/UCrx0uARM3

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) April 20, 2021