The voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog won’t face charges for trespassing at the Capitol.
The group of staffers for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” who were arrested last month will not be prosecuted, Capitol Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., announced Monday.
Nine employees were filming a segment at the Longworth House Office Building about the Jan. 6 committee hearings, with agreement from both Democratic and Republican members of Congress, but were detained by police on June 16, their last night of production, Colbert previously confirmed.
Police accused them of “unlawful entry,” but will not press charges.
“The USCP arrested nine people for Unlawful Entry charges because members of the group had been told several times before they entered the Congressional buildings that they had to remain with a staff escort inside the buildings and they failed to do so,” the Capitol Police said in a statement Monday.
“The United States Capitol Police was just informed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is declining to prosecute the case. We respect the decision that office has made.”
Among those arrested was Robert Smigel, the creator and voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Colbert insisted days later that his staffers were just “doing their job,” remained “very professional” and “very calm.” But Tucker Carlson insisted they were staging an insurrection of their own.
“I’m shocked I have to explain the difference, but an insurrection involves disrupting the lawful actions of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power,” Colbert responded on his show.
“This was first-degree puppetry. This was high jinks with intent to goof. Misappropriation of an old ‘Conan’ bit.”
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