An Alabama congressman Thursday called for an investigation into whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) broke federal law when she ripped up President Trump's State of the Union speech earlier this year. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) says Pelosi violated her responsibility to preserve official documents delivered to the House. Palmer -- in a letter to Attorney General William Barr-- asked for a determination on whether "Pelosi committed a criminal act by destroying an official copy of the State of the Union speech delivered to her" by President Trump. 18 U.S.C. § 2071 prohibits the mutilation of federal records and carries a punishment of up to three years in prison.
“Nancy Pelosi’s famous tantrum on the House floor was more than disgraceful; she violated her responsibility to preserve official documents delivered to the House of Representatives,” Palmer said in a statement. “We ask the Attorney General to review this scandalous outburst, not simply because it offended every American, but because it set a precedent for radical politicians to hijack state events for partisan performance art and possibly break the law with, thus far, no consequence.”
There was no immediate comment from the Justice Department. Pelosi has been under fire after getting caught on video getting her hair done at a San Francisco salon that has been closed due to coronavirus restrictions.