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Reporter arrested for asking HHS Tom Price this forbidden question on Trumpcare and domestic violence

Xeni Jardin

A reporter in West Virginia was arrested on Tuesday after attempting to ask a Trump official about the administration’s plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Dan Heyman, a reporter for Public News Service, says he asked Price repeatedly about whether domestic violence is considered a preexisting condition under the new GOP healthcare bill.

Heynman was arrested at the West Virginia State Capitol after repeatedly and fruitlessly asking Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price a question about the AHCA, aka Trumpcare, a House-approved bill to repeal and replace the ACA.

Heyman says he asked Price repeatedly about whether domestic violence is a preexisting condition under the Republican plan.

From The Hill:

According to Heyman’s account, he waited for Price to come into the building and then reached past those accompanying Price with his phone and repeatedly asked his healthcare questions, adding that a number of other reporters wanted to bring up the issue of preexisting conditions.

He said capitol police at some point “decided I was just too persistent in asking this question and trying to do my job and so they arrested me.”

According to the criminal complaint by the capitol police, Heyman was “aggressively breaching the secret service agents to the point where the agents were forced to remove him a couple of times from the area walking up the hallway in the main building of the Capitol. The defendant was causing a disturbance at Ms. Conway and Secretary Price.”

Heyman said he couldn’t remember how many times he asked the question, but he added that it is his job to ask questions, expressing disbelief that he was arrested.

“First time I’ve ever been arrested for asking a question. First time I’ve ever heard of someone getting arrested for asking a question,” he said.

Heyman said he asked his questions in a public space and received no warnings that he was in the wrong place or doing other activities to warrant his arrest.

“No police officer told me ‘you’re in the wrong place,’” he said.

The police “put hands on me, although they didn’t hurt me, certainly,” he added.

Heyman asked them if he was under arrest, according to his version of events, and they said “yes.” He also said he told the police he was a member of the press.

The police didn’t immediately read him his Miranda Rights, he added, because they said were not asking him questions.

Reporter arrested after repeatedly questioning Health secretary [The Hill]

UPDATE: There’s an extensive New York Times story out, with details on the possible penalties.


PHOTO: Tom Price (R-GA) [REUTERS]

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