On Monday, a staffer for Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) was arrested for carrying a gun on the grounds of the United States Capitol without a license, according to authorities.
NOTUS first reported that the employee, Kevin Batts, was detained before his boss embarked on a marathon speech on the Senate floor against President Donald Trump’s policies.
“Yesterday afternoon a Member of Congress led an IDed 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,” Capitol Police said in a statement, according to The Hill.
“The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts of New Jersey, was arrested for Carrying a Pistol Without a License,” the statement continued. “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.”
Booker went ahead with his remarks despite the incident. As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, the senator had been speaking for roughly 20 hours. If he breaks past 24 hours and 18 minutes, Booker will beat the record established by the late Strom Thurmond from South Carolina when he delivered a filibuster against the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Democrat said, “Sen. 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.”
Responding to news of the arrest, the National Association for Gun Rights highlighted comments from Booker in 2022 criticizing a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a New York law requiring individuals to show “proper cause” for a concealed carry license.
“Cory Booker snuck an armed employee into Capitol Hill,” the group said in a post on X. “Of course, the staffer should not need to be ‘licensed’ to carry. Rights do not require a permission slip. Unfortunately, Sen. Booker does not agree. They force laws down upon you that they happily break themselves.”
