Congressman Andy Harris defends confrontation with student journalist in Maryland

Republican Congressman Andy Harris defended his actions following a confrontation with a student journalist after a congressional forum in Cambridge, Maryland, WBFF reported.

The incident occurred after a debate between Harris and his Democratic challenger, Dan Schwartz, when reporters gathered to question Harris. Audience interruptions opposing Harris’s statements had frequently occurred during the debate.

After the event, Harris confronted Cat Murphy, a graduate student at the University of Maryland and reporter for Capital News Service, over her recording him without permission during a post-debate press gaggle, FOX45 Baltimore reported.

Harris cited Maryland’s wiretapping law, which generally requires all parties to consent to recording a private conversation, and threatened to involve police and pursue prosecution. He called for an officer to intervene and said her camera should be taken away, a moment captured on video.

In an interview with FOX45 News In Depth, Harris dismissed criticism of his behavior, saying the encounter gained attention because he pushed back against what he described as unfair media treatment. He stated, “It’s not very newsworthy that the liberal media badgers a conservative politician.”