The Washington, D.C., attorney general dropped charges against a gold star father arrested during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union for shouting over the president and disrupting congress.
The D.C. attorney general will not be prosecuting Steve Nikoui, the father of deceased Lance Corporal Kareen Nikoui, one of 13 U.S. Marines killed at the Abbey Gate bombing when American forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021. Nikoui was arrested at the State of the Union address for repeatedly shouting “Abbey Gate” and “13 Marines” during Biden’s speech earlier this month. Representative Brian Mast (R., Fla.), an Army veteran, invited Nikoui to the State of the Union address.
“Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is illegal,” U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement provided to National Review after Nikoui’s arrest.
Representative Darrell Issa (R., Ca.) announced Tuesday evening the charges against Nikoui were being dropped. He had written a letter to Capitol police Tuesday demanding the charges against Nikoui be dropped.
“All charges against Gold Star parent Steve Nikoui have been dropped,” Issa said on X. “He did nothing wrong. And this is the right decision.”
The D.C. attorney general’s office told Fox News they will not be prosecuting the case just like past cases against protests. Nikoui was “thrilled and humbled” when he heard the news from Issa, according to Fox News.
“I am glad the D.C. Attorney General dropped these ludicrous charges against Gold Star father Steve Nikoui after my hearing on President Biden’s deadly Afghanistan withdrawal,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R., Texas.)
“The President has yet to apologize to families like Steve’s who lost loved ones in the terrorist bombing at Abbey Gate. These families deserve justice, not prosecution and persecution.”
Multiple Gold Star families were present Tuesday at a hearing by the Foreign Affairs Committee examining the Biden administration’s mistakes in carrying out the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Retired top generals Mark Milley and Kenneth McKenzie testified at the hearing for the first time since departing from their posts. McCaul said the names of the 13 servicemen and women killed in the suicide bombing and criticized the Biden administration for ignoring warnings about the possibility of a chaotic withdrawal.
The Gold Star families have strongly criticized the Biden administration since 13 Marines were killed on August 26th, 2021 by a suicide bomber at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. One hundred-seventy Afghan civilians were also killed in the suicide bombing and scores were injured. Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in a swift takeover by the Taliban after the government collapsed.