Capitol Police officers arrested a staffer for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 2.
Officers manning a checkpoint saw on the X-ray screen what appeared to be ammunition in a bag being screened, the Capitol Police said.
“After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag,” said the agency, which is responsible for keeping members of Congress and congressional buildings safe.
The staffer, Michael Hopkins, 38, was arrested and is facing charges of illegally possessing ammunition, including possession of a high-capacity magazine, according to the Capitol Police.
Hopkins did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
A spokesperson for Morelle’s office told news outlets in a statement that the congressman was made aware of the arrest.
“This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police. We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest,” the spokesperson said.
“Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all.”
Morelle, 67, has represented New York’s 25th Congressional District since 2018. The district includes about 766,000 people and is on the northern border of the state, partly set off by Lake Ontario. Morelle won reelection in November with 60 percent of the vote.
