Derrick Van Orden hit with ethics complaint for alleged drunken aggression towards teens in Capitol

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) was hit with an ethics complaint Tuesday for an incident where he verbally berated a group of teenage pages at the U.S. Capitol while possibly under the influence of alcohol.

The complaint accuses that on July 26, Van Orden yelled and acted physically aggressive toward a group of Senate pages, who were lying on the floor and taking pictures of the Capitol rotunda on one of their final days as pages. According to a transcription of the incident published by The Hill, Van Orden used expletives and accused the pages of “defiling the space.”

“Wake the f— up you little s—s,” Van Orden reportedly said. “What the f— are you all doing? Get the f— out of here. You are defiling the space.”

PunchBowl News reporter Max Cohen also posted a photo of multiple bottles of alcohol in Van Orden’s office, where the congressman and his staff were heard “partying loudly” before the incident.

The complaint will go to the House Committee on Ethics, who will decide if an investigation is necessary. The complaint was filed by Eau Claire County Board candidate Matthew Lehner.

➡️ Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district deserves better.

That’s why I filed this ethics complaint against @RepVanOrden for berating Senate pages in the capitol rotunda. ⬇️⬇️https://t.co/5Mq2dY7GEt

— Matthew Lehner (@matthew_lehner) January 30, 2024