[PARAGON]

As McKinney was apologizing, a federal grand jury was preparing to hear testimony from subpoenaed congressional aides who witnessed her confrontation with the Capitol Hill officer.

Lisa Subrize, executive assistant to Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), and Troy Phillips, senior legislative assistant to Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), formally notified Hastert late Wednesday that they were testifying before the grand jury.

On March 29, an officer who didn't recognize McKinney tried to stop her from going around a security checkpoint in a House office building, as members of Congress and their staffs are allowed to do. The officer called to the DeKalb County Democrat to stop and, when she didn't, put his hand on her, prompting McKinney to spin around and strike the officer.

The federal prosecutor in Washington turned the case over to the grand jury to determine whether charges should be filed against McKinney. The charge could range from assault on a police officer, a felony, to simple assault, a misdemeanor. The grand jury and prosecutor also could just drop charges.

Meanwhile, the House sergeant-at-arms is investigating Thursday's incident on the Capitol steps. An aide, accompanying McKinney, physically confronted Cox Broadcasting reporter Scott MacFarlane trying to interview the congresswoman. After threatening the reporter, the aide said, "I'm a police officer," according to a videotape of the incident shown on WSB-TV.

On the tape, the man said he was not a Capitol Hill police officer. Off-camera, MacFarlane said the man told him that he worked for McKinney. Her office would not identify the man.

The House sergeant-at-arms is checking whether the man was a police officer amid reports that he was actually a former cop. Claiming to be a police officer is a felony.

The union representing Capitol Hill Police immediately expressed concerns about whether McKinney's aide was carrying a weapon.

"Anybody who has a weapon as a police officer must check that weapon with Capitol Police," said Andy Maybo, head of the Fraternal Order of Police on Capitol Hill.