CAMBRIDGE, Md. —
A highly emotional candidate forum on the Eastern Shore ended Tuesday night with drama — but it wasn’t jabs between the candidates.
In a forum with Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz, incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-District 1, scolded the audience and, once it ended, he threatened to have a student reporter removed from a news conference.
Harris scolds audience members at forum
First, members of the audience had very strong responses that were distracting. It didn’t help that the audience was filled with supporters of both candidates.
Harris scolded the audience about the First Amendment and free speech when the crowd interrupted his answer about the cost of diesel fuel.
Harris pointed to the Democrats and environmental regulations as reasons for high diesel prices, which garnered a response from some members of the audience.
“You all say you believe there’s a First Amendment, but only if you agree,” Harris said. “You should let me finish the sentence. Ma’am, you are rude, you are rude.”
Harris singled out reporter for dismissal
Then, after the event, Harris shut down questions he didn’t like from The Baltimore Banner and became combative when a Capital News Service reporter stood up for her colleague.
Harris singled out CNS reporter Cat Murphy, who was recording video of the news conference using her cellphone. Harris sought to have her removed because he didn’t like her approach and said she needed his permission to record video under Maryland’s two-party consent law.
Attorney Steve Silverman told WBAL-TV 11 News that Maryland’s two-party consent law applies to private conversations.
The Banner recorded video of the exchange between Harris and Murphy.
What was said
“I think you should respect their questions just as much as mine,” Murphy is heard saying on the video.
“We are not answering your questions either,” Harris said. “I’m going to continue; I’m not going to answer.”
Murphy: “All right, I’m going to continue.”
Harris: “No, you can’t.”
Murphy: “Yes, I can.”
Harris: “This is a two-party (consent) state; I’m not giving you authority to film me.”
Murphy: “You invited the press.”
Harris: “I’m disinviting you. You are gone. You are gone.”
Murphy: “All of your public appearances have been funding announcements.”
Harris: “Can you escort her out?”
Murphy: “Are you removing a member of the press? You just spoke out there about how you wanted people to bend and respect your First Amendment.”
Harris: “Do you ever read the Baltimore Banner?”
Murphy: “That’s not relevant.”
Murphy: “OK, so you said you wanted the war, sir.”
Harris: “You do not have my permission to record. If you record, we will refer you to the prosecutor.”
Murphy: “Everyone in here is recording.”
Harris: “You are not allowed to. We are in a two-party state. You are not allowed to.”
Murphy: “Why am I not allowed to? Excuse me, why am I not allowed to?”
Harris: “Because I refuse to give you permission to do so.”
Murphy: “You said you wanted the war in Iran. ‘It could have gone smoother and it could have gone better.’ What did you mean by that?”
Harris: “Take her camera. He’s going to take her camera. She is in violation of the law. In fact, get an officer in here. She’s violating the law on two-party recording. Get an officer.”
Murphy: “Congressman, you said that you supported the First Amendment. What do you have to say about that?”
Before leaving the room, Harris said: “You are ruining all your chances to get an answer about anything. See you all.”
Harris responds next day: ‘Not a public forum’
On Wednesday, Harris told WBAL NewsRadio 1090 AM and 101.5 FM that the news conference was held in a private room where there was an expectation of privacy.
Video Below: Rep. Harris says his team was targeted
He claimed the reporter was there to make comments and not ask serious questions, and that’s why he didn’t give her permission to record and wanted her to leave.
Harris told WBAL Radio: “This was not a public forum. We were in a private room, but media were invited in at our invitation. The public was not there. So, this was not open to the public. This was not conducted out where the forum was conducted. Furthermore, when I turned to this reporter for her question, she commented that she didn’t like the way I was conducting the interviews, the post-forum interviews. Clearly, she was just expressing an opinion, and as a journalist, you know, that’s not what you are supposed to do. You are supposed to ask a question. So, at that point, I’m just not going to answer any questions from her because she’s not there to ask questions, she’s there to make comments. So then, I asked her to stop recording. That’s totally within my right.”
Harris says political violence has reached Maryland
On Wednesday night, the Harris campaign shared a statement saying Harris and his family have received messages before and after Tuesday’s forum.
“It’s disappointing that political violence and intimidation has reached the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” Harris said. “Agitators bussed in from as far away as New Jersey showed up yesterday for one purpose – to disrupt and heckle.”
The statement also said one person faces charges after assaulting a Harris supporter during the forum.
UMD stands with college reporter
In a statement, the dean of the University of Maryland’s Merrill School of Journalism said their college students know their rights as journalists.
“Cat Murphy is a master’s student at the University of Maryland, credentialed as a reporter for our Capital News Service and doing the job we teach our students to do. Cat recorded openly in a public space alongside other news outlets, and that is her legal right, I’m proud of how she handled herself in a difficult situation,” the dean said.
Murphy told WBAL-TV 11 News she was just doing her job.