‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ staff arrested at Capitol won’t be prosecuted

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors said Monday that they will not pursue charges against “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” staff members who were arrested last month on suspicion of unlawful entry at a Congressional office building.

>> Read more trending news

U.S. Capitol Police on June 16 arrested nine people, who are part of a production team for the CBS show, in the hallway of the Longworth House Office Building, according to The New York Times. Police said Monday that members of the group had been told several times that they had to remain with a staff escort while visiting Congressional buildings.

“They failed to do so,” authorities said.

In a statement obtained by The Washington Post, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said that the group had been invited into the Longworth House Office Building by congressional staffers and that an escort had left them unattended. They had never been asked to leave by the staff members who invited them, CBS News reported.

Prosecutors said that they did not have a strong enough case to pursue the misdemeanor unlawful entry charges.

“We do not believe it is probable that the office would be able to obtain and sustain convictions,” officials said, according to the Post.

On his show, Colbert said his staff members were in the building following two days of interviews with Democratic and Republican lawmakers about the Jan. 6 hearings. He said the group was filming some final comedic pieces with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog – a canine puppet voiced by comedian Robert Smigel – when they were arrested.

“This was first-degree puppetry,” Colbert said. “This was hijinks with the intent to goof.”

©2022 Cox Media Group