We may never know who cut off Rep. Maxine Waters’ microphone. Here’s what we do know
Rep. Maxine Waters was in the middle of a rousing speech at the California Democratic Party state convention when she was interrupted and then had her mic cut off.
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She stayed true to form last weekend at the California Democratic Party convention, finishing out her rousing anti-Trump speech from the floor even after the sound to her microphone was cut off. There has been a lot of attention paid to what happened and who is responsible. Here is what we know.
7:30-9:15 p.m. May 20
African American Caucus hosts meeting
The state party caucus held officer elections and discussed juvenile justice, bail reform and the need to tackle the high unemployment rate of black workers across California. A host of state leaders, lawmakers and activists took the stage, including Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and state Treasurer John Chiang, who is running for governor.
About 9:30 P.M. MAY 20
Waters takes the stage
Waters, who refused to attend Trump’s inauguration, told the audience she stood by her decision and began laying out the reasons she sees him unfit for the presidency, including the investigation into his ties to Russia. In the middle of her speech, as the meeting ran past its time slot, she was approached by a man who appeared to work for the convention center.
"Hey, leave her alone," audience members shouted as he interrupted to speak to her privately, prompting caucus Chairman Darren Parker to shoo the man away.
"That's all right, that's OK — they try to shut me up all the time," Waters quipped to loud cheers as she continued to speak.
After 9:30 P.M. May 20
Sound cut off
Members of the audience reproach the man in the back room. The sound from the congresswoman’s microphone was cut off soon after, sending the roughly 300 people in the room into confusion. That didn't stop Waters. As a few voices shouted in anger, she got down from the podium, telling the audience they could still have a conversation.
She finished her speech from the floor, as the crowd chanted, "Impeach 45!"
MAY 21-22
Caucus undertakes inquiry
The head of the California Democratic Party African American Caucus said he was working with state party officials to determine who was responsible for shutting off the sound.
"This is a very unusual situation, and we are collectively trying to figure out a path forward to address what happened and make sure these things do not happen in the future," Parker said.
Parker said the caucus had initially believed the man to be a convention staffer or city employee. But after working with a Sacramento City Council member over the weekend, caucus leaders determined the audio was provided by an outside firm hired by the state party.
A manager for the Sacramento Convention Center told The Times on Monday that the contractors who pulled the plug on the event were not center employees.
10:30 P.M. May 24
Caucus demands apology
The African American Caucus requests the state party issue a formal apology to Waters and its members for what it called disrespect by the private subcontractor.
The caucus said it had concluded an investigation with the Sacramento City Council and executive staff from the California Democratic Party to determine what transpired. They learned the state party retained the event planning firm Frontrunner to produce the convention, attended by nearly 3,000 people from across the state. Frontrunner subcontracted the audio and visual work to a separate firm that has not been identified.
The caucus said it was an employee of that firm who approached Waters and then interrupted her remarks by pulling the plug connecting her microphone to the audio system.
A call to Frontrunner has not been returned.
Executive board members of the African American Caucus have since sent a letter to the newly elected leadership of the state party. Along with an apology, it is asking for "a commitment to sensitivity training for contracted and subcontracted employees and better training on protocols when meetings run longer than the contracted time."
It also is asking for reimbursement of the meeting expenses associated with the event, and for party leadership to work with the caucus and develop better security protocols.
ALSO:
How Maxine Waters became 'Auntie Maxine' in the age of Trump
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