House Dem aide out of job after Capitol arrest

• The last incident, in December 2023, prompted a serious reckoning over Capitol security procedures after Capitol Police took 12 minutes to track down the staffer, who also had a handgun.

Driving the news: A Capitol Police spokesperson identified the staffer as 38-year-old Michael Hopkins, Morelle's communications director.

• Capitol Police searched Hopkins' bag after it went through an X-ray machine and found 11 rounds of ammunition and four magazines, the spokesperson said.
• Hopkins "told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag," the spokesperson said.
• He faces charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge of possession of a high-capacity magazine.

The latest: "In response to this morning's incident, Mr. Hopkins is no longer employed by Representative Morelle's office effective immediately," Morelle's chief of staff Jo Stiles said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Zoom in: "This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police," Stiles said in an initial statement Monday morning obtained by Axios.

• "We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest. Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation," Stiles said.
• "As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.