Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Indiana Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz has been charged with bringing a firearm through airport security, authorities said Monday.
Spartz, 45, was charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia law, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said Monday.
A TSA spokesperson said officers detected an unloaded .380-caliber firearm in Spartz’s carry-on during passenger security screening on Friday at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Her office said in a statement that Spartz mistakenly carried an unloaded handgun in the pocket of her suitcase while going through security on her way to a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Europe.
“Rep. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight,” the statement said.
TSA allows passengers to travel with a firearm but it must be declared with the airline and packed in a hard-sided case in the passenger’s checked baggage. Firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints.
The charge carries up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted.
Spartz first won election to U.S. House in 2020 to represent the 5th District and was reelected in 2022. She won the May primary to seek reelection again in November.
The Indiana Democratic Party released a statement Monday afternoon saying that Spartz “should be well aware of the fact that you can’t carry a gun— loaded or unloaded—past airport security.”
“Despite this, she carried a weapon in her carry-on bag in violation of federal law,” said Indiana Democratic Party Executive Director Dayna Colbert. “It’s clear from her time in Congress that Spartz doesn’t like following rules.”
According to The Washington Post, TSA identified an average of 18 guns a day at airport security checkpoints last year, and about 93 percent of the guns were loaded. Authorities say they have seen upticks in the number of guns recovered at Washington-area airports over the past several years.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
I hope they treat her like any other ordinary person, no special exemptions because she’s a US Representative. In fact, she should be held to a higher standard, she certainly should know the law! No excuses…
☝️
As a Republican, she is immune from prosecution.
Republican or Democrat aside, Steve, you are immune from your own kool aid that you drink, right? 🤣
Should have just retired. What a joke.
She has not been a very effective Representative and now this. Not a good role model for law-abiding citizens
She’s absolutely awful. A screeching banshee on her best days. Dump her, Indiana.
I thought all the gun-slinging republinuts preach about responsible gun owners always know where their gun is. What was she going to do with it at the parliamentary conference in bucharest?
Just an idiotic move.
Although it is no excuse, she is not the first, nor will be the last, lawmaker, actor or law-abiding citizen to make this mistake. Look at the statistics how many guns are recovered at TSA checkpoints every day. I hope she becomes more responsible and diligent in the future.
Maybe she was taking a new gun to Hunter Biden since he apparently lost his last one.
Kind of ironic that she was headed to a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
I’m not a gunowner. So I suppose it’s possible there was a gun in her bag by accident. But I used to travel frequently, and I never stepped on a plane without knowing what was in my carry on bag. I checked my briefcase to make sure I had what I needed, and didn’t have anything I didn’t need. I checked my checked suitcase for the same. How do people get on planes with guns and ammunition in their bags? How could they not know? Who carries loose bullets and unloaded guns in their luggage, and then feigns surprise when its found there? How disconnected from reality to you have to be to not check your bag? Why would you carry an unloaded firearm? By accident? If its for your security, wouldn’t it be loaded? How often has she done this?
How do you not know what you pack ?
It’s a gun… we’re not talking about a bottle of water or a can of hairspray left in a bag. Gun safety classes would benefit her at the very least.
While it is irresponsible there are thousands of guns brought mistakenly to airports every year. She will probably have to pay a fine like most people and that will be that.
“It’s clear from her time in Congress that Spartz doesn’t like following rules.”
Have you ever seen this beast ranting and raving? And acts super-privileged. Another shining example of Indiana’s best.
Please, IN, vote this MAGA Trumper out of office.
I like her even more.
What a surprise. The “don’t punish responsible gun owners” people are big fans of an irresponsible gun owner.