WASHINGTON — Several of Rep. Lauren Underwood’s Democratic colleagues called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to discipline Rep. Lauren Boebert on Wednesday for allegedly striking a man in the face during a Washington bar brawl this month.
Rep. Grace Meng of New York said she would lead a vote to hold Boebert accountable for her actions, potentially triggering a resignation of her leadership position as deputy whip in the House Democratic Caucus.
The incident occurred Oct. 16 at The Half Baked, a bar and restaurant that is known for hosting raucous House Democratic fundraisers and ultimately led to Boebert’s resignation from the D.C. State House.
Meng said she planned to introduce a resolution Thursday that would place Boebert on notice that “a Member of Congress has an obligation to avoid violent outbursts.”
“If you are elected to serve in the House, you have a sworn obligation to uphold the dignity of the office,” Meng said in a statement Wednesday evening. “This night has taught us that basic responsibility and respect have been severely compromised by some in leadership.”
Boebert’s apology came after a four-day internal House Democratic caucus probe that was triggered by an assault complaint lodged by Jason Segura, the patron who was allegedly assaulted by Boebert.
Segura released an anonymous statement to the Post earlier this month criticizing Boebert and the D.C. Democratic State Committee for a divisive and personal campaign against Underwood.
Boebert is a current member of the state House, which is led by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Asked at a news conference Wednesday afternoon whether her actions were appropriate or whether she expected disciplinary action, Boebert said that “I was acting under the assumption that Jason Segura attacked me or was involved in some sort of attack on me or chased me.”
“My words shouldn’t have been used in that way,” she added. “They don’t take into account the environment that created for a situation like that.”
Segura told reporters Wednesday that he believed Boebert “should have known better” and that there was “a lot more to the story” than he had initially informed lawmakers in his letter of complaint. He added that there was “nothing political” about the story.
“I didn’t think that the retaliatory attack on me was really justified. And I was just fortunate that nobody else got hurt,” he said.
Boebert responded that Segura “shouldn’t assume that it’s just about politics” and that her action in responding to him “wasn’t politically motivated.”
“He made it about politics, and I just did what I thought was right under the circumstances,” she said.
Underwood, who was elected last year from a Chicago-area House district, said that she had gotten involved in the Republican primary race for the seat because Segura had been publicly criticizing her for her support of gun control.
The rowdy community events and fundraising campaigns at The Half Baked represented “a different type of work, and some of the participants were a little more offensive than others,” Underwood said.
“I think the human beings that come to those events are wonderful people, and I support them, and hopefully as a younger officeholder I’ll be able to learn how to be more involved and to understand better the limits of behavior, and the consequences and the repercussions that can come along with that,” she said.
Segura is a Washington native who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
He became emotional during a press conference at the Capitol on Tuesday, saying, “I don’t want my name to be associated with anything bad, or unworthy.”
Underwood said she had previously reported his remarks about her to another lawmaker but had never heard from him again. She said that she had spent Wednesday morning praying for Segura, whom she called a “sweet man” and a “true public servant.”