Kevin A. Batts, a 59-year-old staffer for Sen. Cory Booker, was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license after bypassing a security checkpoint at the U.S. Capitol. Booker personally escorted Batts past security at the Hart Senate Office Building on Monday night,
allowing him to evade standard screening procedures. Later that evening, Batts, a retired law enforcement officer, informed Capitol Police outside the Senate Galleries that he was armed. He was immediately arrested, as weapons are prohibited on Capitol grounds, even for retired officers or individuals with permits from other jurisdictions. The incident is part of a growing concern over security lapses at the Capitol in recent months.