New York Democrat Representative Jamaal Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for falsely triggering a fire alarm in a House office building. The incident occurred in late September, shortly before the House was scheduled to vote on a government funding bill. Bowman has claimed that it was an accident.

Under a deal with the Washington, DC, Attorney General's office, Bowman will be on probation for three months and will pay a $1,000 fine. He has also been ordered to write an apology letter to the US Capitol Police. If he fulfills these conditions, the charge will be dropped at his sentencing hearing in January.

Although Bowman has pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge, it is still possible for him to face federal prosecution. The involvement of Justice Department prosecutors in the matter remains unclear.

Some Republicans have accused Bowman of pulling the fire alarm to sabotage the vote. However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries argued that Bowman should not be censured, citing the hypocrisy of Republicans who defend violent individuals who attacked the Capitol on January 6th.

Bowman expressed regret for causing confusion and disturbance and stated that he is glad to be one step closer to putting this incident behind him.