On April 1, 2025, Capitol Police reportedly arrested a staff member for Senator Cory Booker for carrying a firearm on Capitol grounds during a lengthy filibuster led by the New Jersey Democrat.
The staffer, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts, a retired Newark police officer, was apprehended after admitting to being armed outside the Senate Galleries.
Capitol Police reported that a member of Congress had escorted Batts past security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building earlier that day.
Despite being a retired law enforcement officer, Batts was charged with “Carrying a Pistol Without a License,” as firearms are strictly prohibited on Capitol grounds regardless of one’s profession or carrying permits from other states or the District of Columbia.
Jeff Giertz, a spokesperson for Booker, stated that Batts serves as a driver for the senator and that the office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
It remains unclear whether the senator directly escorted Batts around security, but Booker has referred to him as a close friend and long-time team member.
Batts has been a fixture in Booker’s political life since at least 2014, and the senator has previously praised his dedicated service.
Concurrently, Booker began his marathon filibuster around 7 PM, pledging to speak for as long as physically possible while opposing the Trump administration’s agenda.
His speech was not a conventional filibuster, as he did not speak continuously against a specific bill.
As of the arrest, Booker had been addressing the Senate for over 19 hours, drawing attention to various issues while maintaining his call for extended legislative action.
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