The U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia has reportedly dropped the charges against Gold Star father Steven Nikoui on Tuesday after he disrupted President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram broke the news on Twitter that officials had eased up on Nikoui. Nikoui’s charges had been handled by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, after he had been escorted out of the Capitol due to heckling Biden on March 7 during his speech, according to Fox News. (RELATED: GOP Rep Says House Speaker’s Office Aiding Gold Star Father Charged For SOTU Disruption)
1) Fox has learned that the Attorney General for the District of Columbia has dropped charges against Steve Nikoui for disrupting Congress during the President’s State of the Union speech earlier this month.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 20, 2024
Nikoui was invited to the event by Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast, who stated in a blog post that he wanted Biden to remember the “damage he has done to national security and American families.” Nikoui was seated in the guest gallery as Biden spoke to the country and congressional members about various political issues.
Roughly halfway through the president’s address, Nikoui rose from his seat shouting, “Remember Abbey Gate! US Marines!” and drawing attention from the members below. Nikoui had referred to Biden’s infamous withdrawal from Afghanistan which led to 13 U.S. service members killed by a terrorist attack, including Nikoui’s son Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, at the Abbey Gate of the airport.
The Gold Star father was recently spotted outside a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, and told Fox News that he was not surprised the Biden administration did not get involved with his charges after being asked for an update. However, Mast appeared on Fox Business Tuesday afternoon, stating that since Nikoui’s last interview, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office had gotten involved with aiding the Gold Star father’s charges.
“So I’m told an update since that last interview, the Speaker’s office has been able to intervene successfully and make sure that the charges are dropped,” Mast stated.
It is unclear at what levels of charges were brought against Nikoui. Additionally, the U.S. D.C. Attorney’s office has yet to make a public statement regarding the reportedly dropped charges.