{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-questions-mayorkas-about-border-patrol-whipping-claims", "Cotton Questions Mayorkas About Border Patrol \u2018Whipping\u2019 Claims", "2022-10-12", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 12, 2022\n\nCotton Questions Mayorkas About Border Patrol \u2018Whipping\u2019 Claims\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking why the secretary condemned border patrol agents for allegedly whipping illegal immigrants when he had already received assurances that they had not done so.\n\nThe letter cites a recently released email to Secretary Mayorkas that included a statement from the photographer whose pictures sparked the false claims. In the email, the photographer said that he had \u201cnever seen [the agents] whip anyone.\u201d\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote:\n\n\u201cIf this is true, you intentionally misled the public and vilified Border Patrol agents for political gain\u2014a gross abuse of your responsibility to the men and women in your Department and to the country.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nOctober 12, 2022\n\nThe Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas\n\nSecretary\n\nDepartment of Homeland Security\n\nWashington, D.C. 20528\n\nDear Secretary Mayorkas:\n\nLast year, a misleading photograph circulated online of mounted Border Patrol agents using the reins of their horses to control their movements. News outlets and some Democrats falsely claimed that the photograph showed the agents \u201cwhipping\u201d illegal aliens at the border.\n\nAn email recently made public appears to show that you received a statement from the photographer saying that he had \u201cnever seen [the agents] whip anyone.\u201d Mere hours after you received that statement, you attended a White House press conference where you called the photograph \u201chorrifying\u201d and stood silently as President Biden falsely claimed that illegal aliens were \u201cbeing strapped,\u201d and promised that the agents \u201cwill pay.\u201d If this is true, you intentionally misled the public and vilified Border Patrol agents for political gain\u2014a gross abuse of your responsibility to the men and women in your Department and to the country.\n\nPlease answer the following questions no later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, October 19:\n\n1.Did you receive an email dated September 24, 2021, containing the photographer\u2019s statement that he had \u201cnever seen [the Border Patrol agents] whip anyone\u201d?\n\n2.Did you inform the Biden White House prior to its press conference on September 24, 2021, of the email containing the photographer\u2019s statement?\n\n3.Have you apologized to the Border Patrol agents for unfairly vilifying them and their work?\n\nI look forward to your prompt response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n________________\n\nTom Cotton\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-questions-mayorkas-about-border-patrol-whipping-claims"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8701630868017673, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}