Democratic Congressional Staffer Arrested: What We Know

An aide to Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) was arrested by Capitol Police on Monday.

This was announced by the Capitol Police Newsweek via email that 38-year-old Michael Hopkins was arrested for “unlawful possession of ammunition, including a charge of possession of a high-capacity magazine.” In a statement from Jo Stiles, Morelle’s chief of staff, the office said a member was arrested by Capitol Police on Monday morning. Morelle’s office is “currently gathering additional information regarding the circumstances of the arrest,” Stiles said.

This was announced by the Capitol Police Newsweek Hopkins was arrested at 8:45 a.m. as he entered the Cannon House office building when he “subjected his bag to a check.”

“USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the X-ray screen,” the Capitol Police public information office said Newsweek. “After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The employee told officers he had forgotten the ammunition was in his bag.”

Newsweek has reached out to Morelle’s office for comment. As of 12:15 p.m. Monday, Morelle has not posted anything about the issue on his official social media platforms X, formerly known as Twitter, or on Facebook.

“Our office is fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation,” the statement from Morelle’s office said. “As the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, Congressman Morelle is committed to ensuring a safe workplace for all.”

Morelle served as the New York 25 representative^Th He has been a congressional district since 2018 and most recently won his second term in 2020 against businessman George Mitris. He was previously a member of the New York State Assembly, representing a portion of the state that includes Rochester.

The New York congressman is the ranking member of the House Administration Committee and a member of the Budget Committee. He is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Politico and The New York Times had reported that Morelle was one of the lawmakers who urged President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. However, a 2021 FiveThirtyEight analysis found that Morelle voted 100% for Biden’s positions during the 117th Congress.

The New York representative was one of more than 150 Democrats who voted against Republican Rep. Nancy Mace’s bill that would ensure undocumented immigrants convicted of sex crimes are deported or deemed inadmissible to the country.

Morelle also spoke out openly against Mace’s recent tirade about banning transgender lawmakers from using the restroom of their choice. South Carolina Representative Mace filed a resolution after Sarah McBride was elected as the first openly transgender woman in Congress. Morelle said McBride was “a woman. She should use the ladies room.”

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