Senate Staffer Busted For Carrying Webb’s Loaded Gun

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If a private Virginia CCW holder forgot that he'd left his pistol in the trunk of his car, drove into DC, and had the misfortune to be pulled over by one of DC's finest, he'd be prosecuted. So Webb's aide doesn't deserve any special consideration either. A nice show trial of one of the Hill's own might knock some sense into the rest of them.
 
Two (2) Non-prosecuted Felons

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

Correct me if I am wrong, but we now have two non-prosecuted "felons". Bare with me here...

Non-prosecuted felon #1: Cynthia McKinney, who "assaulted" a police officer, while in possession of a firearm? If she was, send her off to trial.

Non-prosecuted felon #2: Liberal Webb, who supplied a pistol, and unregistered ammunition to a prohibited person? If he did, send him off to trial.

Where are the prosecutions of these two? I am so sick of the two class system: congress and us. Forget the staffer...he didn't know about it.

I say it's time to act here like we acted with Zumbo...change is good!!!
 
Well hopefully the Senator will get charged and convicted. He is the one responsible and his aide should be exonerated. I think that this may cause him to champion 2nd amendment issues.

Either way I really dislike double standards. The idea that Congressmen, politicians, and law enforcement are able to carry a weapon to protect themselves while they prohibit me from doing the same because they fear I may misuse it makes me furious. I am so tired of seeing politicians and police officers getting off with a slap on the wrist or even go uncharged when they break the law or do something that I would be arrested for.
 
I was there for the Cynthia McKinney episode, and though she was a wild, raving, lunatic, I never heard it alleged she had anything other than an unregistered cellphone.
 
McKinney still should be in prison...pistol or no pistol. But, if she did have a pistol, double it sentence. Too many double-standards...and they want to take our guns?! And they don't want others in DC to have guns?!

One word covers it all:

Hypocrites!
 
Bush and his illegally imported Highpower

Bush has got Saddam's highpower pistol which he has shown off around the office-the Oval Office. While some folks think that's cool, I'd like to see the import papers. None of the Armed Forces on the ground seem to be able to bring anything back. How the heck did he get it?

If Webb doesn't like the law, let him change it. Otherwise, and in this specific case where it is too late, prosecute to the fullest, JUST like a normal person would have to endure.

Government, including LEOs, ought to have to get tax stamps, carry papers, be searched, get licenses, be banned from certain weapons, JUST like anyone else. ESPECIALLY when it comes to firearms.
 
A few questions leap to mind. I ask them in no particular order

--What is the legislation either out of congress or DC that gives MoC an exemption to DC ban? Failing to produce legislation is there some kind of bureaucratic edict that gives them a pass.
--Since there exists people running around with concealed handguns and those handguns pose and explicit threat to the peace public, we here in flyover country demand to know who the dangerous gunslingers are.
--Do the MoC's have to apply for a permit to pack heat? What is the nature of the training, assuming there is a requirment, MoC are required to undergo. Is the permit to pack limited to a specific firearm or class of firearm. How many round must be fired in qualification assuming there is a qualification requirement.
--Am I to assume the so-called fourth estate will hound MoC like they do anyone who dares challenge the ban
--Someone please explain how capitol hill can permit members to pack heat, yet when they go home at night do they secure their sidearm in a locker under the control of capital police OR is the DC police simply looking the other way. I am willing to be DC police give congress members a wink and a nod.
--Inquiring minds want to know if for no other reason than this story smells to high heaven of cronism and bald-faced hypocrisy.
 
Artice I, Section 6

Regarding the privileges of Congress:

They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

This covers McKinney (assault is a misdemeanor.) So yes, she could have walked up to the officer, smacked him across the face for no reason whatsoever, and gone about her business. And not been arrested for it, per the Constitution. The law is different for Members of Congress.

If you're unhappy about that, and I can see where some would be, there's a procedure for changing it. It's tough to do. In fact, it's only been done 17 times in 218 years.

As to Senator Webb, I'm not sure if possession of an unregistered firearm in DC is a misdemeanor or a felony. Can a municipality even define a felony? But it's also been posted here that members of Congress are allowed, by statute or custom/rules, to possess firearms within the confines of the Capitol (which is not within the jurisdiction of the DCPD, which is why the Capitol PD exists.) In fact, IIRC, the Capitol and White House are not technically in the City of Washington, DC. So DC law wouldn't apply in that case.

The staffer could have committed a DC crime when he (I'm assuming) transported the Senator's firearm across the city to the Capitol, but the arresting Capitol PD officer wouldn't be authorized to arrest him for a misdemeanor he did not witness, at least as I understand arresting powers.

Again, I'm assuming here, but I think that the staffer was arrested as a security precaution, until they could figure out that he was who he said he was. There's a lot of staff people on the Hill, and the CPD can't memorize them all. There not going to take someone at their word.

"Oh, that's Senator so-and-so's gun, I work for him, and I'm just bringing him this bag."

"OK, sir, please place your hands behind you back."

--Shannon
 
As I understand that, after they leave office, they can be prosecuted.
 
Wow, none of you have stood up and supported this as an "unconstitutional" law, which it is, which any gun law is that removes your "right" to bear arms.

As far as the double standard for the elites vs us, I'm completely in line with you guys on that. As far as not being allowed to possess a gun in DC, the very land that holds the constitution and Bill of Rights, well, that's different. That is hypocrisy at it's finest, from the elites. That's just funny there.
 
From what I've read, I'd bet Webb was flying out of Reagan, which is in VA. I'd bet Webb was in VA when he gave his aide the pistol and the aide ended up driving to the Capital with the pistol and ammo in his briefcase. I'd bet Webb never set foot in DC with the pistol and ammo.

This just goes to show how stupid the gun laws in the US really are. Innocent people made potential felons because of laws passed on what someone MIGHT do with a firearm and ammo. Its called passing laws by paranoia, not rationality or reason.

I hope both Webb and his aide gets a pass on this.
 
Senator Webb is allowed to be armed while in the Capitol. He is (apparently) also allowed to give his staffers his firearms for transport into and out of the building. He's supposed to notify the Capitol police when that happens.

The Capitol police found a gun in someone's bag. That someone said "I work for Senator James Webb." Rather than take him at his word, since there's a lot of staff people on the Hill, the CPD arrested him. Which is probably the smart thing for them to do, as they are dealing with a lot of "high-value targets."

Bottom line, the staffer won't be charged,
Click to expand...

No, a Senator is not allowed to give his staffers permission to break DC law, but it doesn't appear that in this case he asked the staffer to do any such thing. Sounds like the staffer forgot to get rid of the gun before he came into DC from Virginia.

Your speculation about the Capitol police arresting the guy because there's "a lot of staff people on the Hill" has no grounding in reality. All staff have to carry picture ID and their employment is easily verified by the Capitol cops; they arrested him because he tried to bring a gun. The cops were just playing it by the book, and while I don't much like the law (or the Capitol cops, come to think of it) I don't blame them. If they cut the guy a break, particularly a majority staffer, they would surely be crucified once it hit the newspapers.

And he has been charged.

Incidentally, a similar incident happened to a top staffer for Trent Lott when Lott was majority leader. Staffer was a Virginian who went hunting one weekend, then forgot to take his shotgun out of the truck when he went to work Monday. Capitol cops saw it when he drove into the Senate parking garage; he was arrested, taken to jail, charged and pled guilty.
 
Maybe this will serve as a wake-up call to our congresscritters that the gun bans are unlawful, and a new era of pro-2A will spring forth from this event.

:D
 
Congress wrote most of DC's gun laws back in 1932.

Shame neither party can follow them. :(
 
hmmmm...sounds like the staffer had his OWN gun. Check out Webb's comments at the end. What an elitist thing to say....

NO, Senator Webb, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES!!!!!!

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/webb-says-he-did-not-give-aide-his-gun-2007-03-27.html

Webb says he did not give aide his gun
By Jeremy Jacobs
March 27, 2007

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said Tuesday that he did not give staffer Phillip Thompson the pistol whose possession got the aide arrested Monday when he tried to enter the Russell Senate office building.
“I have never carried a gun in the Capitol complex and I did not give the weapon to Phillip Thompson, and that’s all that I think I’ll say,” Webb told reporters.

“I think this is one of those very unfortunate situations where, completely inadvertently, he took the weapon into the Senate yesterday,” Webb added. The senator noted that he was in New Orleans from Friday until Monday. He speculated that the incident happened because three of his cars were moved because of the trip.

Webb also pointed out that he could not go into too many specifics because Thompson is being arraigned Tuesday.

However, the senator made some broad points related to the incident, including his support for gun rights.

“Everyone here knows that I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, that I have had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia for a long time, and I believe that it’s important — it’s important for me, personally, and for a lot of people in the situation that I’m in, to be able to defend myself and my family.”
 
IIRC, there is no law in DC that allows congressmen to own/carry an unregisterd firearm in DC. The capitol police simply have an official policy to look the other way.
 
US Constitution said:
They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same;
Click to expand...

Article I, Section 6.
 
I think that someone brought up a good point about the pistol that Saddam once owned and which is now in posession of Bush. I think Bush would pardon himself though.:)

In all serious we really need to start insisting that the police treat them the same as everyone else.
 
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So if MoC can commit misdemeanors at will inside the building, does that mean any Senator or Congressman could sit at their desk while in session, smoking a joint, and not be charged with anything?

That would definitely make for an interesting political statement..
 
If the folks on this board won't give an NRA "A" rated politician a break on a 2A issue, then this is not really the High Road. It's the High Road for republicans only...
 
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