‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ staff charged with unlawful entry at U.S. Capitol

Seven members of the production team behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a regular segment on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” were arrested by Capitol Police and charged with unlawful entry Thursday while filming “stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls” of Congress, CBS, which airs the late-night talk show, confirmed Friday in a statement to The Times.

According to the network’s statement, the “Late Show” staffers were on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and Thursday, amid the ongoing House Select Committee hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection, to record “authorized and pre-arranged” interviews with members of Congress. It was after completing those interviews that the production team remained on-site to film and was detained.

“On June 16, 2022, at approximately 8:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) received a call for a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building,” U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. “Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day. They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney.”

Fox News reported that the production had been filming outside the offices of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). CBS and U.S. Capitol Police did not provide the names or specific filming locations of those charged.