Rep. Andy Harris threatens reporter with potential criminal charges for recording him

On Tuesday, Maryland Republican Congressman Andy Harris confronted a reporter at a press conference and threatened her with potential criminal charges for recording him on video. The incident occurred during a debate against Democratic opponent Dan Schwartz in Cambridge, Maryland. Despite multiple journalists recording the exchange, including Cat Murphy, a data reporter for Capital News Service, Harris singled out Murphy and declared that she did not have his permission to record.

Harris explained that they were in a two-party state, referring to the Maryland Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, which makes it illegal to record conversations without consent. However, this law only applies to private conversations and not public forums like a news conference with accredited journalists. Murphy, who is credentialed through a U.S. Capitol gallery, argued that the debate did not require press registration and that they were in a public forum.

Harris, who is running for a ninth term in the House, became increasingly agitated and eventually called for law enforcement, claiming that Murphy was violating the law. The reporter defended herself, stating that Maryland's two-party consent law applies to telephone communications, not audio and video recordings. As tensions escalated, Harris removed his hand on Murphy's camera and walked out of the room.