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A House Democrat outspoken about his disdain for former President Donald Trump and desire to see him face criminal prosecution is giving his own legally troubled sibling a pass.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., a Philadelphia-area congressman who boldly declared in Jan. 2021 that “Donald Trump belongs in prison,” has avoided calling for his younger brother, Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle, to also face criminal prosecution despite a warrant being issued for his arrest and a drunken tirade at a local bar that was caught on video.
“In the days following the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, I was one of the first members of Congress to publicly call for Donald Trump to be criminally held responsible. It is reassuring to see that now, at long last, justice is being served. This sends a clear message that nobody, not even the former President of the United States, is above the law,” the congressman’s office said in a statement on Trump’s Washington, D.C. indictment last August.
From left to right: Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., former President Donald Trump and Democrat Pennsylvania state Rep. Kevin Doyle. (Getty Images/Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania)
The statement noted the congressman’s 2021 social media posts calling for Trump’s arrest, which used the hashtag “#ArrestTrump.”
In September 2021, a few months after making those posts, the younger Boyle was arrested for harassment and violating a protection from abuse order his estranged wife had filed against him. And earlier this year, he was caught on video at Gaul & Malt House, a Philadelphia-area bar, berating the staff and threatening to use his position of power to close down the establishment in retaliation for being kicked out.
It’s unclear what prompted his drunken tirade, but bar staff could be heard in the video stating that Boyle started the altercation.
“Do you know who the f–k I am?” he asked at one point in the video as staff yelled at him to leave. “I’ll close your f—–g bar. This bar is done. Do you know who the f–k I am? This bar is done tomorrow.”
Kevin Boyle ultimately left the bar and faced no charges related to the altercation, but he was subsequently removed by the Pennsylvania state House from his committee chairmanship and barred from entering the Capitol building because of it. Since then, he has been unable to cast votes, and other members have had to vote on his behalf by way of proxy.
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The Pennsylvania Capitol building in Harrisburg, Penn. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
For weeks, Kevin Boyle’s district offices have remained closed, with constituent services available by appointment only. Even his Democratic colleagues in the House recognized his decline — several leaders supported a procedural move that would have paved the way for his expulsion from the body. They submitted a proposal for a rule change aimed at removing members who were “incapacitated,” thereby ensuring due process and maintaining the integrity of the legislature.
Additionally, an arrest warrant was issued for him earlier this month for again violating his wife’s PFA.
Following the arrest warrant being issued, Brendan Boyle released a statement saying his brother has a “very serious mental health condition,” and that it had been “a nightmare for our family.”
“Like any family who has a beloved member with a serious health issue, we are doing the best we can to help him get better,” Boyle said, stating that his brother initially made a full recovery after he first experienced symptoms of the unnamed condition in 2021, but had again been showing symptoms in recent months.
The congressman didn’t say whether his brother should face prosecution, nor did he say he should step down from his role as a state representative despite his attribution of the latter’s legal struggles to a mental health issue or his inability to fully represent his constituents in person at the Capitol.
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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, on Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Monday that his office was withdrawing Kevin Boyle’s arrest warrant — a day before voters cast ballots in his primary race against another Democratic opponent — citing “previously unavailable information” coming to light “regarding the Protection from Abuse order.”
When reached for comment, Krasner’s office told Fox News Digital, “While there may or may not be a basis for other charges, there is no longer probable cause for violation of a protective order. This remains an ongoing investigation, and we have no further comment at this time.”
Voters ultimately didn’t give Kevin Boyle a pass, as he lost the primary to his Democratic opponent on Wednesday. There has been no indication he will not serve out the remainder of his term.
Fox News Digital has reached out to both Boyles’ offices for comment for purposes of this story.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
