Seven staffers from “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” have been arrested for allegedly trespassing in a Capitol Hill building on Thursday night, law enforcement officials said.
The employees were located by Capitol Police shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Colbert staffers were found inside the Longworth House Office Building, which houses offices for members of the House of Representatives, according to the New York Post.
Arrested individuals were found “unescorted and without Congressional ID” in a hallway on the sixth floor, USCP said. The Longworth building was closed for the day and UCSP had already asked the group to leave earlier in the day, the department added.
While seven Colbert staffers were arrested, at least 9 individuals were approached by UCSP. This includes Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Associated Press reported.
In addition, the same group was escorted from the January 6 Select Committee hearings earlier in the week for lacking proper credentials.
“The Late Show” staffers reportedly applied for press passes prior to the hearing, but were denied by the House Radio/TV Gallery because they are not considered “news,” according to Fox News.
All seven staffers were charged with unlawful entry, authorities said.
CBS said in a statement that the employees were on hand to film a segment for Colbert’s show. The station said that their interviews were “authorized and prearranged through Congressional aides of the members” they met with.
U.S. Reps. interviewed by the crew included Adam Schiff (D-CA), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Fox News reported.
After being escorted from the building earlier in the day, they were allowed back inside shortly after 4 p.m. by an aide for Auchincloss.
The crew reportedly took photos of the officers of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO).