The House staffer is being charged with unlawful possession of ammunition after “officers discovered four magazines and 11 rounds of ammunition inside a bag” in the Cannon House office building, according to the U.S. Capitol Police.
In a statement emailed to The Hill on Monday, Capitol Police said the officer, Michael Hopkins, entered Cannon's building around 8:45 a.m. and “subjected his bag to search.” Ta. Police later found “what appeared to be ammunition upon X-ray examination.”
“After a manual search of the bag, officers located four ammunition magazines and 11 rounds of ammunition,” the Capitol Police said in a statement. “The employee told officers he forgot the ammunition was in his bag.”
Authorities arrested Hopkins, 38, and he is now facing charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, “including possession of a high-capacity magazine,” Capitol Police said in a statement.
Hopkins worked as communications director for Congressman Joseph Morrell (New York). But New York Democratic Party Chief of Staff Joe Stiles said in a statement Monday: Mr. Hopkins will no longer be employed by Congressman Morrell's office effective immediately. ”
Before working for Mr. Morrell's office, the former communications director wrote opinion pieces for The Hill.
The Hill has reached out to Hopkins for further comment.
