(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) As Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., held the Senate floor with a nearly day-long filibuster, one of his aides was busted by Capitol Police for carrying a pistol without a permit outside the Senate galleries.
The aide, identified as 59-year-old Kevin Batts, was allegedly guided past security by an unidentified member of Congress and only disclosed his firearm later that evening. Batts has been with Booker’s office as a special assistant since 2013 and is a retired police officer from Newark, N.J.
“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,” Capitol Police said in remarks to The Hill.
Capitol Police did not reveal the identity of the member of Congress who helped Batts bypass security. It remains unclear when Batts’s gun permit expired, potentially raising questions about how a retired law enforcement official could miss such a security lapse.
Booker’s office described Batts works as a “New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events” and said it is “working to better understand the circumstances around this.”
Batts’s arrest coincided with Booker’s marathon speech aimed at protesting the Trump administration’s policy victories. Booker, determined to speak as long as he was physically able, ultimately delivered a 23-hour address.
His speech—the second longest in Senate history—featured familiar critiques of Trump and his MAGA agenda.
“These are not normal times in our nation,” Booker declared at the start of his speech. “And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them.”
Despite the record-breaking speech, most media attention focused on Batts’s arrest. A Headline USA review noted that coverage of Booker’s speech was merely fixated on the opening remarks, suggesting the remainder of his speech might soon be forgotten.
