Report: Group associated with Stephen Colbert arrested for unlawful entry at Capitol

A group of staffers from “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” were arrested for unlawful entry at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., according to a report by Fox News.

Members of the group, initially on location around the time of a Jan. 6 committee hearing, were charged with unlawful entry and released after they were found in Longworth House Office Building after it closed to the public, Fox News reported Friday.

“On June 16, 2022, at approximately 8:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) received a call for a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building,” Capitol Police said in a statement.

“Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway,” the statement added. “The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.”

“They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney,” the police force said.

Among the group that was arrested were Smigel, Jake Plunkett, Allison Martinez, Tyrone Dean, Stephen Romond, Nicoletta Green, Brendan Hurley, Josh Comers and David Feldman, Fox News reported, citing an unnamed senior House source. The reason for the discrepancy between the seven individuals referenced by the police and the nine named in the Fox News report was unclear.

The group was taking pictures and video around the offices of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert from Colorado. The group was arrested near Boebert’s office and released overnight.

The arrests came as the Jan. 6 committee conducts hearings into the 2021 Capitol riot.