{"id":366633,"date":"2026-10-14T20:37:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T01:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/rep-andy-harris-threatens-journalist-with-potential-criminal-charges-for-recording-him"},"modified":"2026-10-14T20:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T01:37:23","slug":"rep-andy-harris-threatens-journalist-with-potential-criminal-charges-for-recording-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/rep-andy-harris-threatens-journalist-with-potential-criminal-charges-for-recording-him","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Andy Harris threatens journalist with potential prison fees for recording him"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris on Tuesday appeared to lose his<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->cool during a gaggle with reporters, singling out a journalist and threatening her with legal<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->consequences if she recorded him<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->on video.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;You do not have my permission to record. If you record, we will refer you to prosecutors,&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->Harris told the reporter in a<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FBaltimoreBanner%2Fstatus%2F2110353543022752199%3Fs%3D20&amp;data=05%7C02%7CJohn.R.Parkinson%40abc.com%7C755792b4dded4222c69708df2a1534d3%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639275942812136306%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=kPLs5POcNFDcx6WU61IzpX19GS%2F2b6vR0EJ3uTACrrs%3D&amp;reserved=0\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">video captured by a Baltimore Banner photojournalist<\/u><\/a><strong class=\"vtkaO \">\u00a0<\/strong>following his debate against Democratic opponent Dan Schwartz in Cambridge, Maryland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Everyone in here is recording,&#8221; responded the reporter, identified as Cat Murphy, a data reporter at Capital News Service. &#8220;Why am I not allowed to?&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:70.68181818181817%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4abdcaea-474c-476d-bd64-2de39d110e68\/andy-harris-2-ht-gmh-261014_1792010248097_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4abdcaea-474c-476d-bd64-2de39d110e68\/andy-harris-2-ht-gmh-261014_1792010248097_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4abdcaea-474c-476d-bd64-2de39d110e68\/andy-harris-2-ht-gmh-261014_1792010248097_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4abdcaea-474c-476d-bd64-2de39d110e68\/andy-harris-2-ht-gmh-261014_1792010248097_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Andy Harris\" alt=\"Andy Harris\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4abdcaea-474c-476d-bd64-2de39d110e68\/andy-harris-2-ht-gmh-261014_1792010248097_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris confronts a Capital News Service reporter while speaking with the media, Oct. 13, 2026, in Cambridge, Maryland.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Ulysses Munoz\/The Baltimore Banner<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;But you are not allowed to,&#8221; Harris responded. &#8220;We are in a two-party state. You are not allowed to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Harris had just left the contentious debate in which some in the audience interrupted him with laughter as he tried to blame Democrats for the high price of diesel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;You&#8217;re rude,&#8221; he said angrily, pointing to a woman in the audience.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Harris, who is seeking a ninth term in the House, repeatedly referenced Maryland&#8217;s all-party consent law, the Maryland Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, which makes it unlawful for any person to &#8220;willfully intercep. &#8230; any wire, oral, or electronic communication&#8221; &#8212; a felony subject to imprisonment for not more than five years and\/or a fine of not more than $10,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But the law protects only private conversations, not situations such as a public official conducting a news conference with accredited journalists where the participants have no reasonable expectation of privacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The video shows at least eight journalists participating in the gaggle with the congressman and Murphy told ABC News Wednesday she is credentialed through a gallery at the U.S. Capitol. The debate last night did not require press registration, Murphy added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;With all due respect, this is a public forum,&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->another reporter told Harris as the quarrel continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Do you know the law?&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->Harris retorted, growing agitated.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;I&#8217;m not a lawyer,&#8221; the<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->journalist<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->admitted before questioning the congressman&#8217;s credentials. &#8220;Are you?<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->You&#8217;re a doctor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Yeah, actually, I&#8217;m a legislator,&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->affirmed Harris, an anesthesiologist by trade.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->&#8220;Yeah, I actually, I actually know the law well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When Murphy attempted to steer the clash back to her questions about U.S. military hostilities with Iran, Harris looked around for law enforcement and called for an officer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;You said that it could have gone smoother and it could have gone better. What did you mean by that?&#8221; Murphy asked regarding the congressman&#8217;s comments on Iran during the debate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Take her camera. You&#8217;re going to take her camera. She is violating the law. In fact, get an officer in here. She&#8217;s violating the law on two-party, two-party recording,&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->Harris stammered.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->&#8220;We need an officer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The unidentified reporter again spoke out in Murphy&#8217;s defense, contending that Maryland&#8217;s two-party consent law applied to telephone communications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Audio and video have to have two-party approval in Maryland,&#8221; Harris insisted. &#8220;Now they may not have to have it in Washington D.C. They have to have it in Maryland. She needs my approval to record.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;We are in public,&#8221; Murphy insisted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Harris didn&#8217;t wait for an officer to respond to his pleas and pushed his way out of the room.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;She&#8217;s ruining all your chances to get an answer about anything,&#8221; Harris bemoaned. &#8220;See y&#8217;all. Thank her. Thank &#8212; thank her profusely!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">ABC News attempted to seek comment from Harris on Wednesday but has not received a response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/rep-andy-harris-threatens-journalist-potential-criminal-charges\/story?id=137265769\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris on Tuesday appeared to lose his\u00a0cool during a gaggle with reporters, singling out a journalist and threatening her with legal\u00a0consequences [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":366636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[29367,41077,41078,41075,41080,10439,41079,269,41076,15064,41074],"class_list":["post-366633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-andy-harris","tag-banner-photojournalist","tag-capital-information-service","tag-cat-murphy","tag-dan-schwartz","tag-discussion-board","tag-knowledge-reporter","tag-maryland","tag-phone-communications","tag-public-official","tag-unidentified-reporter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366633"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366635,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366633\/revisions\/366635"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}