A congressional staffer was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license after being escorted into the U.S. Capitol by a member of Congress, police saidTuesday.
The United States Capitol Police said in a statement, “Yesterday afternoon, a Member of Congress led an ID’ed staff member around security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building.”
“Later that evening, outside the Senate Galleries, the IDed staff member — who is a retired law enforcement officer — told our officers he was armed.”
“The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts of New Jersey, was arrested for Carrying a Pistol Without a License. All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia,” the statement continued.
Batts is listed as a “Special Assistant” to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., on Legistorm, a research entity that routinely updates salaries and information about lawmakers and their staff.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Booker spokesperson Jeff Giertz said, “Senator Booker’s office employs a retired Newark police detective as a New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events. We are working to better understand the circumstances around this.”