A Democratic House staffer was arrested while trying to enter a congressional office building Monday morning when Capitol Police officers discovered several rounds of ammunition in his bag.
Michael Hopkins, 38, was arrested by Capitol law enforcement after officers discovered four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition in his bag, Capitol Police told the Washington Examiner in a statement. Hopkins now faces charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge for possession of a high-capacity magazine.
Hopkins told Capitol Police “he forgot the ammunition was in the bag” when he went through security, according to the statement.
Hopkins is a staff member of Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), who announced earlier in the morning the office was informed of an arrest. At the time, Morelle’s office said it would cooperate with the investigation and that the congressman was “devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all.”
A spokesperson for Morelle’s office later announced that Hopkins was no longer employed by the congressman following the incident.
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The incident comes on the heels of several threats made to lawmakers and other political figures over the holiday weekend. Nearly half a dozen Democratic House members were targeted with bomb threats over the last few days, each of which was signed with the slogan “MAGA.”
Additionally, at least 10 of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees were hit with threats over the last week, including current Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR).
