Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., was formally charged after she was arrested for carrying a weapon in a terminal at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., last month.
A .380 caliber firearm was found in Spartz’s carry-on bag by the TSA when going through security en route to an international flight on June 28. Spartz was still able to board the flight, her office said.
She was attending an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly meeting on Ukraine.
“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,” her office said then in a statement.
Spartz faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted after being charged with the misdemeanor. She will be arraigned at Loudon General District Court in Virginia.
The first Ukrainian-born member of Congress, Spartz was elected in 2020 and recently won a contentious primary that centered on her support for her country during its war with Russia. Spartz initially supported aid to Ukraine before recently voting against a $61 billion aid package.
Spartz, who represents Indiana’s 5th Congressional District in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, originally planned to retire from Congress before reversing course.
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