Texas Dem Al Green Fourth U.S. House Rep to Be Arrested in Last Month in Voting Rights Protests, Pays $50 Fine

U.S. House Rep Al Green (D-TX) became the fourth U.S. House Rep arrested in voting rights protests since U.S. House Rep Joyce Beatty (D-OH) became the first on July 15 and he paid a $50 fine, which is the same as two of the other three, including Beatty, with the third’s punishment being unreported at this point.

Green, who is a freshman representative, along with Texas Democratic State Rep Ron Reynolds and an NAACP leader, were arrested while protesting outside the Capitol building and the Supreme Court.

Reynolds is one of the state reps who fled to Washington D.C. in an attempt to block a Republican-led voting integrity bill from being passed in Texas.

In a tweet, Green shared a video of him and Reynolds standing next to each other in a crosswalk in Washington, D.C., holding their hands over their hearts as they joined a crowd of other people in singing the gospel anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”

As The Hill reported:

The video showed two Capitol police officers approaching Green and Reynolds, after which one of the officers put a wristband around Green’s hands before the other officer led him away. 

The officer then tied a wristband around Reynolds’ hands and another officer escorted him away from the singing crowd. 

In a subsequent Tweet, Green bragged about the arrest and shared a picture of the ticket.

Proud to fight for the voting rights of those I serve by any means necessary. pic.twitter.com/LJ9Kp5EQl2

— Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) August 3, 2021

CNN reported that a spokesperson for the Capitol police told them that the “three demonstrators were arrested for crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.”

Previously, we reported:

We reported earlier this month that U.S. House Rep Joyce Beatty (D-OH) was arrested while protesting in the Hart Senate Office building on Capitol Grounds in Washington D.C.

Since then, two more Democrat Congressional representatives have been arrested outside of that building for blocking the door to the building during protests.

According to reports, Beatty and one of the two arrested, U.S. House Rep Hank Johnson (D-GA) were able to pay a $50 fine to avoid further prosecution.

On Monday, Washington Examiner reporter Emily Brooks reported, “House Ethics Committee announces it will take no further action in the matter of Rep. Joyce Beatty, one of nine people arrested earlier this month during a protest for voting changes in a Senate office building. She paid a $50 fine.”

As for Johnson, the ethics committee report said:

Representative Johnson was released following his arrest. Representative Johnson informed the Committee he paid a $50 fine prior to his release. The legal proceedings related to his arrest are expected to be resolved with no further action.

The Committee voted against impanelling an investigative subcommittee in this matter. The Committee considered the scope and nature of the conduct described above and determined that review by an investigative subcommittee is not required in this matter.

The Committee has determined to take no further action in this matter, and upon publication of this Report, considers the matter closed.

U.S. House Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was the latest Congresswoman arrested and it is unclear if she will get the same deal or not.

In a tweet, Lee explained, “Acts of civil disobedience birthed this nation and remain the true hallmark of our liberty. From the Boston Tea Party to the March on Washington, Americans have engaged in peaceful protest and legal noncompliance to preserve and protect the right to vote, as I did yesterday.”

Meanwhile, many of the Jan. 6 defendants face years in jail as federal prosecutors are playing hardball.