Stephen Colbert's Late Show Team Has Unlawful Entry Charges Dropped After Capitol Hill Arrests
Getty
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's team will not be prosecuted after their recent arrests on Capitol Hill.
On June 16, nine members of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert were arrested as they filmed a sketch featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — who is voiced by Robert Smigel — after interviewing members of Congress about the January 6 hearings. Smigel was one of the nine arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry.
On Monday, a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police on Monday confirmed charges against the team members have been dropped.
"The United States Capitol Police (USCP) has been working with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia on the June 16, 2022, Unlawful Entry case that involved a group of nine people associated with The Late Show," the statement begins.
"The USCP arrested nine people for Unlawful Entry charges because members of the group had been told several times before they entered the Congressional buildings that they had to remain with a staff escort inside the buildings and they failed to do so.
RELATED: Stephen Colbert's Late Show Suspends Filming as Host Recovers from "Recurrence of COVID"
"The United States Capitol Police was just informed the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is declining to prosecute the case. We respect the decision that office has made."
PEOPLE reached out to The Late Show for comment.
RELATED: Stephen Colbert Explains Why Team Members Were Arrested on Capitol Hill Last Week
In a Late Show monologue on June 20, Colbert joked about the arrests — calling it "Puppetry in the first degree."
"Triumph offered to go down to D.C. and interview some congresspeople to highlight the January 6 hearings," Colbert said. "I said, 'Sure, if you can get anyone to agree to talk to you, because — and please don't take this as an insult — you're a puppet.'"
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Colbert added that Triumph did get both Democratic and Republican Congresspeople to speak before the arrests.
"Triumph and my folks shot for two days in congressional offices across the street from the Capitol Building. They went through security clearance, shot all day Wednesday, all day Thursday, invited into the offices of the Congresspeople they were interviewing. That's very important. You have to invite Triumph in."
RELATED VIDEO: Stephen Colbert Explains Why Team Members Were Arrested on Capitol Hill Last Week
On Thursday, the staff was shooting "jokey 'make-em-ups' in a Congressional hallway, "when Triumph and my folks were approached and detained by the Capitol Police," Colbert added.
"Which, actually, isn't that surprising. The Capitol Police are much more cautious than they were, say, 18 months ago — and for a very good reason."
He added, "The Capitol Police were just doing their job. My staff was just doing their job. Everyone was very professional. Everyone was very calm. My staffers were detained, processed and released."
