Democratic Staffer Arrested for Possession of High-Capacity Magazine

BREAKING NEWS: Democrat @RepJoeMorelle‘s comms staffer is now facing unconstitutional gun charges for:

unlawful possession of ammunition
unlawful possession of a high-capacity magazine pic.twitter.com/wT2O1C44ec

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) December 2, 2024

On Thursday morning, the 28 of November, Thanksgiving day, Capitol police found eleven rounds of ammunition and four magazines in a bag, which Michael Hopkins had put through screening at the Cannon House Office Building. Hopkins is a staff member of Rep. Joe Morelle, D-NY.  From WFIN.com:

“At approximately 8:45 a.m., a House staffer entered the Cannon House Office Building and put his bag through screening. USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the x-ray screen,” Capitol Police told Fox News in a statement. 

“After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag,” the statement continued.

Capitol Police say Michael Hopkins, 38, is now facing charges for unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge for possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Hopkins became the communications director for Representative Morelle in October of 2024, according to Hopkins’s LinkedIn account. He passed the bar in New York State. Hopkins shows he has been a contributing writer to The Hill for seven years and five months. Michael Hopkins no longer works for Rep. Joe Morelle, according to Morelle’s chief of staff. From Rollcall magazine:

Hopkins is no longer employed in Morelle’s office “effective immediately,” according to a Monday afternoon statement from Chief of Staff Jo Stiles.

The Administration Committee has oversight over House operations and Capitol security, including jurisdiction over legislative branch support agencies like the Capitol Police.

AmmoLand was unable to find information about what caliber of ammunition was found in the bag or what firearm the magazines might have fit.

It is not uncommon for people who are shooters to forget about a few rounds of ammunition or some accessories when taking a bag through a security checkpoint. It appears the charges against Mr. Hopkins are District of Columbia statutes. The offenses listed, “unlawful possession of ammunition” and “possession of a high capacity magazine,” are likely unconstitutional. The prohibition of magazines has been challenged in several federal court cases. It is difficult to know how this offense will affect Mr. Hopkins’s future career. If Mr. Hopkins worked for a pro-Second Amendment legislator, he might not have been relieved of his position.

Legislatures are acknowledged as “sensitive places” by the Supreme Court. Administrative offices may or may not be considered “sensitive places.” They are not part of the legislature. Places guarded by armed security are plausible candidates for “sensitive places.”  Attempting to take ammunition into a “sensitive place” might be a more appropriate charge. Congressmen, as I recall, are not required to go through security checkpoints at the Capitol. Michael Hopkins will not have difficulty finding meaningful employment, but perhaps not as a staffer to anti-gun politicians.

Unfortunately for Mr. Hopkins, his employer is a strong supporter of numerous infringements on the right to keep and bear arms. Rep. Joe Morelle supports an “assault weapon” ban, universal background checks, banning the sale of standard capacity magazines,  mandatory liability insurance for firearms owners, mandatory three-day waiting periods for firearm purchases and many others.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.