The chief of staff for Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, was charged Wednesday with bringing a firearm into the US Capitol complex, in accordance to court docket paperwork obtained by NCS.
Luis Angel Vega is anticipated to make an look in DC Superior court docket Friday on the costs, which stem from an alleged incident in December.
Capitol safety officers discovered the black pistol Vega and ammunition allegedly carried when Vega despatched his bag by means of a safety checkpoint on the entrance of a House workplace constructing that’s half of the Capitol complex, the court docket paperwork mentioned. They then instructed Vega to lock up the firearm in his automotive after which return for his bag to be re-screened, which he did, in accordance to the filings.
The charging paperwork describe a phone interview that US Capitol Police carried out with Vega a week after the alleged December 22 episode. Vega instructed the police officer that he didn’t have a license to carry the pistol, in accordance to the court docket filings, and that normally he enters the House workplace constructing with Sessions — referred to was “Witness-1” within the paperwork — who’s exempt from being screened by the mags.
“The day of the offense was out of the ordinary in that Witness-1 entered the building separately from the defendant and the defendant forgot there was a pistol in his bag,” the court docket filings mentioned.
It is just not clear why the warrant for Vega’s arrest was issued months after the incident, prompting his first court docket look set for Friday.
NCS reached out to Session’s workplace for remark. A lawyer for Vega has not but been recognized.
The US Capitol Police and US Attorney’s workplace in DC didn’t instantly return requests for remark.
Vega faces two counts: carrying a gun exterior his residence with out a license and carrying a firearm onto the Capitol grounds.
NCS’s Ellis Kim and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.