Former state Assembly candidate arrested at Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s Bakersfield office
A former Democratic candidate for the California Assembly was arrested Monday after refusing to leave Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s Bakersfield office in an episode she livestreamed on social media while calling for the congressman’s resignation over last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.
McCarthy’s staff said Julie Solis entered the office shortly before 9 a.m. by following in a delivery driver, according to the Bakersfield Police Department. She was arrested about an hour later on suspicion of trespassing, a police spokesman said.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office website indicated she was still in custody at 3 p.m. Monday but that her release was expected later in the day. No criminal charges had been filed by that time. According to the website, Solis is scheduled for a court hearing at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 9.
Solis said in her livestream — a recording of which remained online — that she was expecting others to meet her at McCarthy’s office. The others apparently did not join her, however, even as she encouraged them to “come on down.”
“We come in peace,” she said while wearing a face mask in cellphone video as she walked around the office’s reception area. “All we want, nothing more, [is] for him [McCarthy] to resign.”
Law enforcement officials are putting “additional security measures” in place at California’s state capitol building amid warnings from the FBI that last week’s siege of the U.S. Capitol could be echoed across the country.
The recording shows that when a Bakersfield Police Department officer arrived, Solis told him McCarthy’s office staff had not offered to help her, take her name or ask what she wanted. She can be heard refusing to leave.
Solis, who could not be reached for comment Monday, said in the livestream she was upset McCarthy had not done anything to stop Wednesday’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which led to five deaths including one Capitol Police officer. McCarthy, a Republican, is the House minority leader.
“Just like your goons occupied our Capitol,” she said, “the people, the taxpayers are occupying your office now.”
House leaders set plans in motion to impeach President Trump for a second time, with a vote as early as Wednesday.
McCarthy released a statement Friday stating that during Wednesday’s riot he spoke with President Trump and called on him to “quell the mob and start the healing process for our country.” McCarthy termed the riot “unacceptable, undemocratic and un-American.”
McCarthy’s designated spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Solis, 42, a community activist and valley fever patient advocate, lost her bid for the 34th Assembly District seat with 32% of the vote to Republican incumbent Vince Fong’s 68%.
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