Mike Johnson's top aide busted on DUI charge after crashing into Capitol vehicle: report

The chief of staff for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was arrested on drunk driving charges just hours after President Donald Trump concluded his address to Congress, NBC News reported on Wednesday.

Hayden Haynes, who has served on Johnson's staff since 2017 and in the chief of staff role since 2023, "hit a Capitol vehicle around midnight and was arrested and released with a citation to appear in court," said the report.

Capitol Police told NBC News in a statement, “A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m. We responded and arrested them for DUI.”

ALSO READ:'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight

Johnson's office swiftly put out a statement defending Haynes.

“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police," said a spokesperson. "The Speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his Chief of Staff for his entire tenure in Congress. Because of this and Hayden’s esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden’s ability to lead the Speaker’s office.”

Most crimes that occur in D.C. are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office — a point of contention as Trump's pick for that role, longtime Stop the Steal conspiracy theorist and Missouri GOP activist Ed Martin, has signaled unwillingness to prosecute Republican officials. He recently refused to charge Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) when D.C. police presented him with an incident of domestic violence believed to have occurred at his penthouse in the district.

However, NBC noted, one exception is DUI cases, which are handled by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, a separate position.