New security measures are being taken in the Senate after a man was arrested for reportedly recording audio of a private luncheon by Republican lawmakers.
New security protocols will be implemented by Capitol Police, according to the Washington Examiner.
NBC News reported that police arrested a 25-year-old Maryland man on a misdemeanor charge of "interception/use of wiretap." Court records say the charge was later dismissed.
The man was said to be a contract employee for a food service, the Examiner reported. He had told police he had set his phone to record during the Senate Republican lunch on March 7, NBC News reported.
Court documents, cited by the network news, say the man told police he had left his phone behind. He went back to the luncheon with a police escort, but could not find the phone. Two sources say a senator found the phone and turned it over to police.
The man said he was married to the vice president of Liberia, although there is no record to back up his claim.
According to NBC News, the new security protocols are aimed at contractors and service staff members. They include a requirement for workers to leave their cellphones outside of meeting rooms before going into Senate lunches.
Asked for details about the arrest, a U.S. Capitol Police spokesman said: "We cannot publicly discuss any potential ongoing investigations at this time."
The Senate sergeant at arms did not respond to repeated requests for information about the incident or any subsequent security posture.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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