Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz of Indiana’s Fifth Congressional District is facing legal trouble after airport security officers discovered a firearm in her carry-on luggage at Washington Dulles International Airport.
According to authorities, Spartz was taken into custody on Friday for violating Virginia state law, which prohibits the carrying of weapons within airport terminals. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson confirmed the details of the incident.
TSA officers at IAD detected an unloaded.380 caliber handgun during routine security screening. The firearm, which was contained in a carry-on bag, was discovered with the help of screening technology and trained officers. The TSA typically refrains from revealing the identities of individuals involved in such incidents, but this exception was made to confirm the factual account.
In a statement to the New York Post, Spartz’s office revealed that the congresswoman had unintentionally packed the handgun, minus ammunition and magazine, in her suitcase, unknowingly since it was nestled in the pocket of the suitcase. The statement indicated that Spartz was oblivious to the presence of the gun until the moment of discovery.
Having represented Indiana’s Fifth Congressional District since 2021, Spartz is poised to seek another term in Congress after emerging victorious in the Republican primary in May.
Truth Voices made a formal request to Spartz for comment, but it did not receive a response prior to publication.
