A West Virginia lawmaker will not resign, despite pressure to do so, after posting a video of himself on Wednesday at a crowd storming the U.S. Capitol.
State Rep. Derrick Evans, a Republican, “did not commit any criminal act that day,” his attorney, John H. Bryan, wrote according to Lewisburg’s WVNS TV.
“On the contrary,” Bryan said, “he exercises his constitutionally protected rights to engage in peaceful protest and to unfold the events. I will help him exercise those rights against commentators or public officials who want to retaliate. political expression, or who further despises his name by claiming that he was part of that separate group that was engaged in contemptuous acts of violence and destruction of property that day. ‘
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In a cell phone recording of a portion of the video that has now been deleted, Evans is dressed in a helmet amid a screaming crowd that has invaded the Capitol.
“We’re in! Keep it going, honey!” Evans can be heard on the tape.
Evans lingered in the Capitol Rotunda – lined with paintings and artifacts and historically used as a ceremonial resting place for prominent U.S. leaders – and shouted at the others, “No vandalism!”
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The incident, which delayed a joint congressional session to ratify the presidential election, forced lawmakers to flee the Senate floor and take cover, destroyed the building and left at least four people dead and dozens dead. . of others – including law enforcement officers – injured.
The speaker of the House of Representatives in West Virginia, Republican Roger Hanshaw, said Evans “should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
A spokesman for the House, Jared Hunt, told The Associated Press that Hanshaw is still “gathering as much information as possible about what happened, and that he will evaluate all possible consequences once the whole of the situation is understood.” ‘
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Hanshaw said in his statement that he had not yet spoken to Evans.
Evans, who represents part of Wayne County, said in a statement on Facebook that he was on his way back to West Virginia and “was simply there as an independent member of the media to film history.”
West Virginia Democrats have called for Evans to be ousted and prosecuted, saying he should be “held accountable” for his role in the Capitol attack, reports WVNS.
Fox News’ David Aaro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.