The arrest of a longtime staffer for U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) for allegedly carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds is drawing sharp criticism from gun rights advocates, who are accusing the New Jersey lawmaker of hypocrisy over his longstanding support for strict gun control measures.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) issued a blistering statement Tuesday, calling Booker’s position on gun rights “hypocritical” after 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts, a retired Newark police detective and “special assistant” to the senator, was arrested for “Carrying a Pistol Without a License.”
As the Tampa Free Press reported, Batts was detained Monday evening after voluntarily disclosing to officers outside the Senate gallery that he was armed. He had reportedly entered the Capitol complex earlier in the day after bypassing security with a Member of Congress.
“Cory Booker has never met a gun control law he didn’t like,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb in a statement. “Yet it is now revealed that Mr. Batts, described as a ‘special assistant’ to Booker, often accompanies him to events. The senator thinks it’s okay for him to have armed security, while he has labored to keep every average citizen disarmed.”
The arrest has reignited debate over elite security privileges and the gun rights of everyday Americans. Booker, a prominent voice in the Senate for tighter gun restrictions, has supported measures including universal background checks, bans on “assault weapons,” and limits on concealed carry.
Critics say Batts’ proximity to the senator—and potential role as armed protection—directly contradicts Booker’s public stance.
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“Being a retired police officer makes him just another private citizen, with no special privileges,” Gottlieb continued. “As a former officer, he surely must know carrying a gun into the U.S. Capitol is strictly prohibited.”
Gottlieb likened the incident to a 1986 scandal in which a bodyguard for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was arrested for carrying unauthorized weapons in the Capitol complex. “Booker appears to be cut from the same cloth,” he said.
Batts’ arrest comes amid growing tensions over Second Amendment rights and federal firearm regulations. The case has particularly struck a nerve with pro-gun groups, who argue that elected officials often support policies they are unwilling to personally follow.
“It’s time the senator should understand that what’s good for Cory ought to be good for the entire country,” Gottlieb said. “Armed personal protection is a right of the people, not a privilege of political office.”
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Batts has not commented on the arrest, and his current employment status with Booker’s office remains unclear. Booker, who is still engaged in a filibuster speech in the Senate chamber protesting actions by President Donald Trump, has also not issued a public statement on the matter.
Under District of Columbia and federal law, firearms are strictly banned from Capitol Hill, regardless of concealed carry status or law enforcement background. Violators can face serious charges, even if the weapon is legally owned elsewhere.
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