Since we aren’t Congressmen, we might be charged with Trespassing and creating a disturbance. Unless we took pictures of classified documents or recorded classified briefings and texted, tweeted or emailed them to someone, there wouldn’t be any charges related to espionage or anything like that.
These unruly boneheads are members of Congress so they wouldn’t be charged with trespassing. I’d be OK with charging them with creating a disturbance, but isn’t creating disturbances kind of what politicians do? Unfortunately, it seems to be. I understand that testimony stopped so they couldn’t have recorded that and done anything with it. We also don’t know anything classified was being discussed. Just being in a SCIF doesn’t make what’s happening in the room classified. I’ve read nothing about them sending out pictures of classified information and seriously doubt that was lying around to be compromised.
Taking a cell phone into a SCIF or any Controlled Access Area, is a violation of procedures, not a crime in and of itself. I’ve inadvertently walked in with my work cell in my pocket on a couple occasions over the years because I forgot I had it. Soon as I realized it, immediately after walking in for me, I reported it and left to secure it outside. That happens. Nothing was compromised. Repeatedly doing it showing possible gross negligence or even intent, or doing something with it that actually compromises classified information could lead to administrative or legal consequences depending on the circumstances.
What we have here is a very stupid political stunt. It’s not the first stupid political stunt by politicians and won’t be the last.
I will say Congress is notorious for carelessly or internationally leaking classified information. If it were up to me there would be consequences for that, but there pretty much never is. Maybe someone has been issued a sternly worded verbal admonishment at some point, but I don’t know. However, I don’t see this as anything as serious as that. I suppose someone unfamiliar with these things could jade it differently.