More House aides have been served with subpoenas to testify in the grand jury investigation of an incident last month where Rep. Cynthia McKinney hit a Capitol Police officer.
Staffers from four congressional offices, in statements read on the House floor Tuesday, announced they would comply with subpoenas issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The offices of Reps. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Barbara Lee, D-Calif., confirmed that the subpoenas were related to the March 29 incident where McKinney, a Georgia Democrat, entered a Capitol building unrecognized by the officer on duty and then hit him when he tried to stop her.
Those receiving the subpoenas are thought to have been witnesses to the altercation.
The other two subpoenas went to aides to Reps. Lois Capps, D-Calif., and Donald Payne, D-N.J. Capps’ office would not comment on the purpose of the subpoena and there was no immediate response from Payne’s office.
Subpoenas were previously issued for aides to Reps. Sam Farr, D-Calif., and Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich. Troy Phillips, senior legislative assistant to Farr, witnessed the incident and testified about it before the grand jury on April 18, Farr’s press secretary, Jessica Schafer, said Tuesday.
The officer involved in the incident, Paul McKenna, testified before the grand jury within the past week, the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call said Tuesday. McKenna has said he asked McKinney three times to stop. After she refused, the officer reportedly placed a hand on her and she hit him.
Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips said no action was taken Tuesday on whether to charge the congresswoman.
McKinney originally described the encounter as "racial profiling," insisting she had been assaulted and had done nothing wrong. She is black and McKenna is white.
But she got little support from House colleagues, and on April 6 went to the House floor to apologize for what she said was a "misunderstanding."
