A staff member for Senator Cory Booker was taken into custody Monday evening after being caught with an unlicensed pistol at the Capitol. This incident occurred just before the New Jersey senator launched into an extensive speech denouncing President Trump and Elon Musk, which extended over 17 hours.
The Capitol Police released a statement saying, “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.” The full story can be found here.
The individual in question, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts from New Jersey, was arrested for carrying a firearm without a license. Capitol Police emphasized, “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.”
NOTUS was informed:
A staffer for Sen. Cory Booker was arrested Monday by U.S. Capitol Police for carrying a pistol on Capitol grounds without a license, police said.
Kevin A. Batts, who serves as a special assistant for the New Jersey senator according to Legistorm, bypassed security checks when the arrest occurred.
The statement from Capitol Police issued on Tuesday reiterated the timeline, explaining the security breach and Batts’ admittance of being armed.
Meanwhile, Democrat Senator Cory Booker has been fervently addressing the Senate about his grievances with President Trump and Elon Musk. His speech, lasting over 17 hours, began Monday evening and continued through Tuesday afternoon.
Booker, visibly impassioned, vowed to continue his speech “for as long as I am physically able.”
Cory Booker goes OFF on Trump in the 17th hour of his filibuster: “He promised to lower your grocery prices – they’re higher. Over and over he’s breaking promises and doing outrageous things like disappearing people off American streets. Do we see what’s happening?”
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_)
April 1, 2025
