Cory Booker Staffer ARRESTED For Carrying Unlicensed Pistol At Capitol

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A staffer for Democrat Sen. Cory Booker has been arrested by police for carrying a pistol at the U.S. Capitol without a license.

59-year-old Kevin Batts, a retired police officer who now works as a “special assistant” for Booker, allegedly had a gun on him at the time of his arrest on Capitol grounds Monday evening.

Here are the details:

More details from Fox News:

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 said Tuesday.

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 staffs.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Booker spokesperson Jeff Giertz 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.”

Kevin Batts is not only Booker’s staffer, but a close friend.

Per The New York Post:

The former Newark police officer has been a fixture of Booker’s political life since at least 2014, per social media posts, including one in which Booker affectionately calls him “The Batt Man.”

“Kevin Batts has been a friend and team member since 2006 when I became [Newark] mayor and even before. I so deeply appreciate his steadfast friendship, incredible dedication to Newark and now his service to the state,” Booker posted on Instagram in January 2016.

“Kevin was raised in Columbus Homes projects in Newark, then spent 6 years in the United States army reserves [sic] and then joined the Newark Police Department and became a detective in 2004. In 2006, he joined my security detail as a member of Newark’s executive protection unit. In 2013 he joined my Senate staff. I am truly blessed by his friendship and loyal hard work.”

Kevin Batts was arrested a few hours after Sen. Booker kicked off his marathon filibuster in the Senate chamber.

At the time of writing this article, Booker has been speaking for around 19 hours.

Why?

Booker says he plans on speaking as long as he’s “physically able” in protest of what President Trump is doing for our nation.

(No, this isn’t an April Fool’s Day joke. Booker is serious.)

Watch what he posted about it on X:

Good luck, I guess?

If you want to tune in to what’s happening on the Senate floor, here’s a live feed:



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