A Republican state representative in Oregon has been charged for giving right-wing protesters access to the state Capitol in December last year.
Rep. Mike Nearman was criminally charged on Friday with first-degree official misconduct and second-degree criminal trespass, according to The Oregonian after he held the doors to the State Capitol building open so protesters could enter and try to disrupt a coronavirus special session on December 21.
The decision to charge Nearman follows an investigation by state police that began in January.
In a video obtained by The Oregonian last year, Rep. Nearman was seen opening an interior door then leaving the building through an external door, stepping around a man holding a flagpole and kept on walking. The man held the door open then rushed to prevent the interior door from closing. He signals for the other protesters to enter.
Once inside, the protesters clashed with state troopers and police. One man is accused of spraying officers with bear mace, allowing the crowd to make their way further into the building where they shattered glass doors.
Four people were arrested on charges related to the incident.
At least three people who participated in the protest went on to participate in attack at the Capitol on January 6, according to The Oregonian.
