Indiana Congresswoman Charged With Weapons Violation Over Unloaded Handgun at Airport

A Republican congresswoman from Indiana has been charged with a weapons violation at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) was found to have a handgun in her bag as she was going through security for an overseas meeting for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

In Virginia, it is a misdemeanor offense to “possess or transport” guns into airport terminals. Exceptions apply for passengers who declare their gun to their airline at the check-in counter. The gun must be unloaded, stored in a locked hard-sided container, and travel in their checked luggage, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

NTD reached out to Ms. Spartz’s office for further comment on the charges and received the following reply as an official statement:

“Last Friday, Rep. Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase with no magazine or bullets, which she did not realize was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles airport. Rep. Spartz was issued a citation and proceeded on her international flight to the OSCE PA meeting in Europe.”

Although the TSA confirmed that officers found an unloaded .380-caliber firearm during passenger security screening last week, the administration did not specify Ms. Spartz’s involvement at the time.

The weapon “was unloaded and in the individual’s carry-on bag,” the TSA stated.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Following the incident, Ms. Spartz was issued a citation and continued to board her international flight to her destination.

Ms. Spartz won her primary in May against eight other Republican challengers. She was first elected in 2020 and later stated in 2023 that she would not be seeking reelection. However, she later reversed her decision.

Born in Ukraine, the 45-year-old congresswoman moved to the United States in 2000. After gaining U.S. citizenship, she pursued a career in finance and became a business owner before entering politics and becoming an Indiana state senator.

She currently serves on the House Judiciary and Education and the Workforce committees.

In March, Ms. Spartz, alongside Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), announced the introduction of four pieces of legislation to mitigate the strategic, commercial, and national security threats posed by China to the U.S. economy and financial markets.