A staffer for Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who was arrested last year for bringing a pistol into the Capitol without a license, saw the charges quickly dropped and walked away from the incident without further consequence, despite lingering questions.
This is quite a surprise, especially given how radical the Democratic Party is about gun regulations, the Second Amendment, and gun-free zones.
In an article published last week, Politico reported the Justice Department recently discovered that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia chose not to prosecute Kevin Batts in April 2025, about two weeks after his arrest.
Timothy Lauer, a spokesperson for Booker’s office, said in a statement that Batts didn’t face criminal charges because he had an active New Jersey retired law enforcement carry permit.
Batts is a retired Newark police detective and reportedly serves as a special assistant and driver for Booker.
This is strange, however, because at the time of Batts’ arrest, the U.S. Capitol Police said, “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.”
How did Batts get away with this? If an average citizen bought a pistol onto Capitol grounds, they’d likely be facing a judge and jury, or would be pressured into taking a plea deal, even if they, too, were a retried police officer.
A Capitol Police spokesperson said that the department “arrested Mr. Batts on March 31, 2025, for Carrying a Pistol Without a License (Outside Home or Place of Business), Unlawful Activities, Possession of Unregistered Firearm, and Possession of Unregistered Ammunition.”
When the U.S. Attorney’s office was questioned by Politico about the last three charges, it referred the outlet to its previous statement about Batt’s carry permit.
Batts even received $6,000 from donors for a legal defense fund, according to filings that were examined by Politico.
He received two contributions. One was reportedly for $5,000 from Elizabeth Naftali of Studio City, California, and $1,000 from Patrick Dunican Jr., of Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Naftali, a big Democratic Party donor, had contributed to Booker’s past campaigns. In a sickening and almost laughable twist, she also purchased artwork from Hunter Biden, the former president’s son who has been at the center of controversy for years.
The worst part of the story is the double standard, though. While Batts was allowed to slide, another staffer who had a similar issue back in 2021 didn’t get off so easily.
Capitol Police initially failed to catch a loaded Glock 9mm handgun when it passed through an X-ray screening machine at the Longworth House Office Building.
Jeffrey Allsbrooks, who said he “forgot the gun was in his bag,” proceeded to walk through security and was gone before they realized he might be armed. The building was put on lockdown until he was found.
Allsbrooks, who worked for the non-partisan House Chief Administrative Office, had a concealed carry permit in nearby Virginia, but was not licensed to carry in D.C. He was questioned and transported to Capitol Police headquarters, according to Roll Call.
He was processed, moved to a central cell block, and originally faced four charges: possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm; possession of unregistered ammunition, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
The Washington Post reported that Allsbrooks agreed to a plea deal where he was required to perform community service and had to stay out of criminal trouble for six months in exchange for the case being dismissed.
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