The House Ethics Committee has rejected an appeal made by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) over a $5,000 fine for evading metal detector screening in violation of the House’s new security rules. According to a Feb. 4 memo (pdf) by Capitol Police, Gohmert “deliberately avoided” the screening when he entered the House chamber that day, and ignored an officer who was trying to explain to him the new rules. The new screening protocols were adopted by the House in a 216-210 vote in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. No House Republican voted in favor of those measures, which include a fine for House members who evade or otherwise refuse to go through metal detectors. The fine, which will be deducted directly from their salaries, is $5,000 for first-time offenders, and would increase to $10,000 for each subsequent offense. Gohmert had appealed the fine, but a majority …