The communications director for Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle was arrested Monday morning on charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, according to Capitol Police.
Michael Hopkins, 38, was arrested after running his bag through the Cannon House Office Building X-ray machine. The scan showed what appeared to be ammunition in the bag, police said, which prompted a hand search.
“After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition,” a statement from Capitol Police reads. “The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag.”
Hopkins was no longer employed by Morelle's office by Monday evening, according to a statement released by the congressman's chief of staff.
Among the charges Hopkins is facing is possession of a high-capacity magazine. High-capacity magazines are defined as being capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Those magazines are banned in Washington, D.C., a law which was upheld by a federal appeals court in October by a 2-1 majority.
Hopkins was hired by Morelle, D-Irondequoit, in September but has a lengthy resume in Democratic politics. In 2018, he challenged incumbent New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez in the Democratic Primary election, but later withdrew his candidacy. He later served as press secretary for then-Congressman John Delaney’s presidential run. Delaney dropped out of the race in the 2020 Democratic Primary.
Hopkins also is a regular contributor of political editorials in The Hill, Huffington Post, and The Daily Beast, among others.
In a statement, Morelle’s Chief of Staff Jo Stiles said the office is "fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all.”
