The Justice Department has charged Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Democrat hailing from New Jersey, with assaulting, resisting, and obstructing law enforcement officers. These charges stem from a recent dispute outside an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
McIver was one of three New Jersey House Democrats present at the detention facility on May 9, the day of the confrontation with officers. Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, revealed these charges in a Monday night post.
Habba wrote in an accompanying release, “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined. No one is above the law – politicians or otherwise. It is the job of this office to uphold justice impartially, regardless of who you are. Now we will let the justice system work.”
Also present at Delaney Hall on May 9 were Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez. Baraka was arrested after federal authorities claimed he was trespassing. Habba stated the DOJ was dismissing the misdemeanor trespassing charge against Baraka.
As this story continues to unfold, remember that the importance of accuracy and truth in understanding the full scope and implications of these charges cannot be overstated.