Rep. Victoria Spartz, a two-term Republican congresswoman from Indiana, was charged with bringing an unloaded gun through airport security at Washington Dulles International Airport on July 1, 2024. According to multiple reports, Spartz mistakenly carried the .380-caliber handgun in her suitcase without realizing it was there.
Spartz is known for her support of the Second Amendment and is the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress. She has been serving in the House since 2021 and was seeking re-election at the time of the incident. Spartz had just returned from a meeting with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) in Europe.
The incident occurred during security screening when Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected an unloaded firearm in her carry-on bag. The gun had no magazine or bullets when discovered. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight to the OSCE PA meeting.
The charge against Spartz is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia law, which carries up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted. TSA allows passengers to travel with firearms but they must be declared with the airline and packed in a hard-sided case in checked baggage. Firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints.
Spartz is not the first lawmaker to face charges related to possessing a weapon at an airport. In 2022, former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was cited for having a loaded handgun at a security checkpoint in his home state.
Despite her support of the Second Amendment, Spartz recently voted against sending war aid to Ukraine, a reversal from her position when Russia invaded the country.
