House ethics panel upholds $500 mask fines for Greene, other Republicans
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a press conference on July 20. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday rejected three appeals by Republican lawmakers who were fined in May for going maskless on the House floor, upholding the $500 fines against them.
Driving the news: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) were fined in May for repeatedly refusing to wear face masks in the presence of their colleagues.
- All three filed appeals in mid-June.
State of play: While lawmakers receive a warning the first violation of the mask rule, second offenses face a $500 fine.
- Although the House floor rules on the public health measure were loosened in June, back in May, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) still required masks be worn.
The big picture: Greene, Massie and Norman aren't the only GOP lawmakers to face fines for refusing to mask up during the pandemic.
- Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Beth Van Duyne (R-Tex.), and Marianne Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) also faced $500 fines for violating the mask rules. Mast previously referred to his fee as the "best $500 I ever spent."
Of note: Greene has refused to reveal whether she's vaccinated against the coronavirus. When asked during a press conference on Tuesday, she suggested the question was a "violation" of her HIPAA rights, which protect "sensitive patient health information."