Cory Booker Congressional Staffer Arrested on Gun Charges in the US Capital

Senator Cory Booker’s longtime aide was arrested for carrying a gun without a license after being escorted past Capitol security by Booker himself. The staffer, a retired police officer, now faces charges for violating strict Capitol firearm rules.

Key Facts:

Kevin A. Batts, 59, a special assistant to Sen. Cory Booker, was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license at the U.S. Capitol.
Sen. Booker bypassed a Capitol Police checkpoint by escorting Batts around security at the Hart Senate Office Building.
Batts is a retired Newark police detective and has worked with Booker since 2006.
All firearms are prohibited on Capitol grounds, regardless of permits or law enforcement background.
The U.S. Capitol Police stated that Batts admitted to being armed and was taken into custody outside the Senate Galleries.

The Rest of The Story:

Batts, who currently serves as a driver and assistant to Sen. Booker, was led around a mandatory security screening by the senator himself.

Despite being a retired police officer, Batts violated Capitol rules that bar any firearms from the premises, even with a license or police background.

Capitol Police confirmed that Batts voluntarily told officers he had a weapon.

He was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license, a charge that applies even to those with permits from other jurisdictions.

This event comes amid growing concern over multiple recent lapses in Capitol security enforcement.

In response, Booker’s office issued a statement explaining Batts’ role as a trusted driver and longtime associate.

The senator’s past comments about Batts describe a close personal bond and a long history of service, starting from their time in Newark.

Commentary:

This situation reeks of hypocrisy.

Senator Cory Booker has long pushed for tighter gun control—he’s proposed a national gun licensing program that would require law-abiding citizens to renew their license every five years.

Yet here he is, helping a staffer walk a gun into the U.S. Capitol.

Even more absurd is that this isn’t just any staffer—it’s someone Booker has known for decades.

A man he calls a “friend,” a “team member,” and “loyal” since his days as Newark mayor.

It’s clear this wasn’t some careless mistake.

Booker made the decision to walk Batts around security, bypassing procedures that apply to everyone else.

If any Republican had done this, the media would be wall-to-wall with outrage.

But since it’s Booker, the press and his political allies will likely downplay the incident or blame it on miscommunication.

And let’s be honest—Booker’s public stance on guns has always been strict, even extreme.

Yet now we see that rules apparently don’t apply when it’s someone in his inner circle.

This double standard is exactly why people don’t trust politicians who preach one thing and do another behind closed doors.

The Bottom Line:

Sen. Cory Booker, a vocal advocate for strict gun laws, personally helped a longtime staffer bypass Capitol security, leading to the aide’s arrest for carrying a pistol without a license.

The incident calls into question not just security enforcement but also the consistency of Booker’s principles.

This is yet another example of the political class operating under a different set of rules.