NJ congressman appears to be caught wearing boxer shorts in virtual hearing

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Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., appeared to be oblivious to the fact that his camera was on during a virtual House of Representatives hearing on Thursday.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, posted a video of Payne getting up from his computer wearing a T-shirt and what appeared to be boxers. Payne lingered in front of the camera with an exposed midsection before leaving the screen.

"Another reason Democrats should get off Zoom and back to work. #TheStruggleIsReal," Van Duyne captioned the video.

"If taxpayers are paying you $174,000 per year, getting out of bed and putting some clothes on for work seems like it should be a minimum requirement," Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., did not appear to notice and continued speaking, while Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., had to cover her face to hide her surprised reaction.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) falls asleep while remotely participating in a hearing by the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure on Capitol Hill on March 2, 2021 in Washington, DC. The U.S. airline industry has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with passenger traffic falling by 60 percent in 2020. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The video appears to have been taken during Thursday's Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Payne didn't directly address the incident in a statement to Fox News.

"As a public servant, my focus has always been the public good and my work to better the lives of my constituents and all Americans, regardless of the circumstances," Payne said in a statement.

Payne's junior legislative director accused Van Duyne of fat-shaming on Twitter.

"Hey Congresswoman, Rep. Payne, Jr.'s Legislative Director here. It's no secret that as a diabetic the Congressman has his weight struggles. But we try to stick to policy here in Congress," Payne staffer Sam Morgante wrote on Twitter.

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Payne also appeared to be caught sleeping during a virtual hearing of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure back in March.

Fox News' inquiry to Van Duyne's office was not immediately returned.