House Republican charged with weapons violation at Dulles International Airport

Republican Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz said Monday that she was charged with a weapons violation last week at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said a passenger had brought an empty .380 caliber hand gun to the airport in a carry-on bag on Friday, which was detected during the security screening. Officials with the TSA and Spartz's office confirmed that the passenger was Spartz, according to The Hill.

Spartz's office said the congresswoman was issued a citation for the incident at the time, and then was allowed to board for her flight to Europe.

“Last Friday, Rep. Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase with no magazine or bullets, which she did not realize was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles airport," Spartz’s office said. "Rep. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight to the [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly] meeting in Europe."

Spartz, who was born in Ukraine, has been charged with a class 1 misdemeanor for violating a section of Virginia law that prohibits carrying any gun, explosive or stun weapon into an airport terminal, CNN reported.

The Indiana lawmaker is not the first member of Congress to be charged with a weapons violation. Then-Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina Republican, was stopped twice for bringing weapons to airports twice in his two-year stint in Congress, but was only cited once in 2022, according to NBC News.

The incident comes as Spartz runs for another term in Congress, in a solidly red district. Spartz, who has strongly advocated for Ukraine aid, defeated her opponent in the May primary.