A Republican congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, is facing weapons violation charges after she was found carrying a handgun into Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The incident occurred on Friday, June 28, when airport security detected a .380 caliber handgun inside Spartz's carry-on bag during a Transportation Security Administration search.
According to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the gun was unloaded, and Spartz claims that she packed it into her luggage by accident. In a statement from Spartz's office, it was mentioned that she accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase without realizing it was in the pocket while going through security at Dulles airport. She 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.
Victoria Spartz, a Ukrainian-born immigrant who won her seat in Indiana's 5th Congressional District in 2021, had previously announced that she would not seek reelection or any public office at the end of her term. However, she reversed this decision in February and re-entered the race, successfully defending against multiple GOP primary challengers. She won the GOP primary for her district in May, securing her spot in the general election scheduled for November.
