Cory Booker’s Staff Member Arrested for Gun Possession on Capitol Grounds During Senator’s 21-Hour Speech – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
1:47 PM – Tuesday, April 1, 2025
A staff member affiliated with Democrat New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has been taken into custody for carrying an unlicensed firearm on the premises of the U.S. Capitol, coinciding with the senator’s extensive “marathon” speech lasting over 21 hours, as reported by AP News.
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The United States Capitol Police issued a statement concerning the arrest of the staff member on Tuesday.
“Yesterday afternoon, a Member of Congress escorted an identified staff member past security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building. Later in the evening, outside the Senate Galleries, the identified staff member — a retired law enforcement officer — informed our officers that he was armed,” the representative stated.
“The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts from New Jersey, was charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License. All weapons are banned from Capitol Grounds, regardless of an individual’s status as a retired law enforcement officer or possessing a permit from another state or Washington, D.C.,” the statement added.
According to a spokesperson for Booker, Jeff Giertz, the senator’s office employs a retired Newark police detective to serve as a driver based in New Jersey who often travels with him to various events. Giertz remarked, “We are working to gain clarity on the circumstances surrounding this incident.”
In a Facebook reel from 2022, Booker referred to the staff member as one of his “closest” friends.
Furthermore, in a 2016 Instagram post, the senator emphasized that Batts had been his friend since at least 2006.
“Kevin Batts has been a loyal friend and team member since 2006, when I assumed the role of mayor in Newark and even prior to that. His unwavering friendship and commitment to the city have been invaluable,” Booker wrote on Instagram in January 2016.
“Kevin grew up in the Columbus Homes projects in Newark, served six years in the United States army reserves, and became a Newark Police detective in 2004. He joined my security detail in 2006 as a member of Newark’s executive protection unit, and in 2013, he became part of my Senate staff. I am truly grateful for his friendship and dedicated service,” he added.
Booker commenced his floor speech on Monday at 7:00 p.m. and indicated he would speak “as long as I physically can.”
As of now, he continues to speak, surpassing the 21-hour mark.
“More than 21 hours later, the 55-year-old senator, once a football tight end, appeared visibly fatigued but remained determined. It was an extraordinary display of endurance—among the longest in Senate history—as Democrats attempt to convey to their frustrated supporters that they are actively contesting Trump’s agenda,” AP News reported.
Historical Senate records indicate that Strom Thurmond of South Carolina holds the record for the longest individual speech, having filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for twenty-four hours and eighteen minutes. As of April 1st at 1:44 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Booker’s speech is the fourth longest in Senate history, exceeding 21 hours.
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