An employee for a right-wing think tank and MAGA lobbyist was caught trying to sneak drugs and pistol ammo into Senate offices, per NOTUS.
Heritage Foundation employee Matthew Christopher Wingate faces a drug-possession charge after security at the Russell Senate Office Building found a substance that tested presumptive positive as cocaine and fentanyl in his briefcase, according to an arrest affidavit.
According to reporting by NOTUS, Wingate previously worked as a military legislative assistant for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and a national security adviser for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). With the Heritage Foundation, he was the government-relations director for defense and foreign policy.
Wingate was arrested on July 14 by Capitol Police. According to the arrest affidavit, he came through the door of the Senate building and placed his drug-loaded briefcase on the X-ray belt for routine screening. However, it was a screening for a pistol magazine that led to Wingate getting busted.
Security officers noticed "what appeared to be a pistol magazine in a brown briefcase on the screen," which led to questioning and a secondary screening. One officer asked him, "Do you have a magazine in your bag?"
"There shouldn't be," Wingate responded. During the secondary screening, officers found the pistol magazine, which was loaded "with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition," per the affidavit. The affidavit didn't mention a pistol being found. Wingate claimed to be a "D.C. permit holder" during questioning by officers.
After Wingate was detained, Capitol Police "discovered a plastic sandwich bag" that had "four capsules and three blue pressed tablets," per the affidavit.
"The blue pills appeared to be hand pressed and were imprinted with the letter 'A' on one side and the numbers '7' '6' on the other side," the affidavit read. "The tablet was presumptive positive for Cocaine and Fentanyl" after testing.
Wingate claimed to have forgotten the magazine, though he was found to be a licensed permit holder. Meanwhile, he claimed the "drugs were prescribed."