Ukraine-born Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz was charged with a weapons violation at Dulles Aiport in Virginia, an airport spokesperson confirmed to NBC News on July 1.
The charge, which occurred on June 28, was reportedly on the grounds that Spartz carried a gun into the airport.
"Last Friday, Representative 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," a spokesperson for the congresswoman told NBC News. Under Virginia law, the charge is a misdemeanor.
Spartz was born in a small city in Chernihiv Oblast and moved to the U.S. in 2000. She is known for her staunch support of former President Donald Trump.
In the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Spartz supported aid for Ukraine and spoke about the war in deeply personal terms, but also attracted controversy for her attacks against President Volodymyr Zelensky and head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.
Spartz shifted her stance on Ukraine over the following years and grew increasingly critical of U.S. aid for the country. She began to call for more "accountability" for the funding and was among the 112 Republicans in Congress who voted against $61 billion in aid to Ukraine in April.
Politico also reported in June that Spartz was under a preliminary inquiry by the House Ethics Committee due to allegations of abusive treatment of staff and "general toxicity."
Spartz won the Republican primary in her district of Indiana in May, beating back eight challengers to secure a place on the ballot for the November election. As her district in Indiana is solidly Republican, she is favored to win reelection.
Owen Racer
(Updated: )
