Top lawmaker appeals fine

The No. 3 House Democratic leader, Rep. Jim Clyburn, has been fined $5,000 after Capitol Police reported he avoided being screened before entering the House chamber, the House Ethics Committee said.

The South Carolina congressman, 80, is serving his 15th term in the House. He has appealed the fine, the committee said in a statement Friday.

Clyburn is the first Democrat to be fined under security screening rules the House imposed after the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by supporters of thenPresident Donald Trump. Three Republicans have been fined, most recently Kentucky Rep. Harold Rogers, 83, who has also appealed.

A Clyburn spokesperson confirmed that the lawmaker was appealing the fine but declined to comment further.