A reporter who clashed with U.S. Rep. Andy Harris after a candidate forum — a heated exchange caught on video by The Banner — described it as intimidating and unexpected, but she said the encounter won’t dissuade her from pursuing her career in journalism.
University of Maryland graduate student Cat Murphy was covering Tuesday’s forum between Maryland’s incumbent Republican Congressman Harris and Democratic candidate Dan Schwartz for Capital News Service. She was in the press gaggle Harris invited to speak with after the forum when he cut her off.
“It was intimidating,” Murphy told News4. “I didn’t expect that reaction at all, but I was there to do my job, and I was just focused on making sure that I got the question out that I wanted to ask.”
In the video, Harris appears to single Murphy out and tell her to stop recording, referencing Maryland’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, which makes it a felony to record private conversations without consent from both participants. However, the law only protects private conversations, and recording is allowable in situations where there is no “reasonable expectation of privacy.”
“I knew that I had the right to record that press conference, despite what he was saying, so I continued to record just like every other journalist in that room,” Murphy said.
When she tried to ask Harris about the Iran war, he threatened to take her camera and asked for police.
“I can’t control what he or anyone else does,” she said. “I can’t control if someone takes my phone or if police do come in. But what I can control is whether I ask a question or not.”
So, she asked him about the First Amendment.
Harris took his leave from the reporters, appearing to blame Murphy.
“Alright guys, she’s ruining your chance to get an answer about anything,” he said. “See y’all. Thank her profusely.”
Candidates forum heats up over diesel
The forum itself, hosted by the League of Women Voters, had tense moments, too, including about another hot topic — the cost of diesel.
“The facts are that diesel prices have gone up; there’s no question about it,” Harris said at one point. “Why’s it gone up? Because the Democrats’ environmental regulations have not-,” but he was cut off by laughter and jeers before he could finish answering his own question.
Harris turned to address an audience member.
“You should let me finish the sentence ma’am,” he said. “You are rude; you’re rude.”
He looked around the stage, then turned back toward the audience.
“I’m sorry; I gotta do it,” he said. “If you’re not going to tell ‘em I’m rude, I’m going to tell them you’re rude. You’re rude.”
Then Harris finished his answer.
“Diesel is expensive because radical Democrat environmental policies have not allowed us to build refineries in the United States,” he said. “Regardless, we still refine 5 million barrels a day. We only consume 3 million barrels a day.”
‘No intention to stop covering him’
Murphy has covered Maryland’s District 1 congressional race for several weeks and said she’s asked Harris questions before without issue.
“Prior to this, he had been quite cordial to me, so this was, like I said, I was not expecting this,” Murphy said.
Despite the viral moment that’s racked up millions of views, Murphy remains committed to staying on the campaign trail.
“I have no intention to stop covering him or to stop being a reporter,” she said. “I cover his district and I cover his office and I cover this race, and I will continue to do that.”
The UMD grad student took it as a learning experience.
“It’s a preparatory moment, in terms of my career, of just this is gonna happen,” she said. “It’s unfortunate but it’s gonna happen, and being prepared is the best I can do.”
News4 reached out to Harris and his office for comment and awaits a response.
Schwartz released a statement saying, in part, the “message of the night was clear: Andy Harris is out of touch, out of practice talking to voters and much more interested in picking fights and spinning his story than offering real answers.”
