The government relations director for the conservative Heritage Foundation was arrested on a drug possession charge after he accidentally brought pistol ammo into the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington.
Chris Wingate, 45, of Alexandria, Virginia, was stopped after an X-ray screening of his briefcase revealed “what appeared to be a pistol magazine” inside, according to an affidavit filed in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
When asked if there was a magazine in the bag, Wingate allegedly answered, “There shouldn’t be,” but a search turned up one that held 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, the affidavit says.
Wingate, who said he had a District of Columbia firearms permit, was placed under arrest and taken to Capitol Police headquarters, where authorities confirmed he had a concealed carry license.
But an officer who conducted a second search of his briefcase found a sandwich bag holding four capsules and three blue tablets that “appeared to be hand pressed” in an outside pocket, according to the affidavit.
One tablet was tested with a handheld spectroscope that allegedly showed presumptive positive results for cocaine and fentanyl.
The description of the blue tablets Wingate allegedly possessed matches that of a generic version of Adderall, a prescription medication used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to information posted on the Drugs.com website.
Wingate, whose full name is Matthew Christoper Wingate, allegedly waived his right to remain silent and told authorities that he “forgot the magazine was in his briefcase” and that the drugs “were his and were prescribed to him from a medical professional,” according to the affidavit.
Wingate was charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and was released after pleading not guilty at his arraignment, according to court records.
He’s due back in court on August 27.
Neither Wingate, his defense lawyer, nor The Heritage Foundation returned inquiries from The Independent.
Wingate’s July 14 arrest was first reported Friday by Notus, which also reported his position with The Heritage Foundation and former jobs as a national security adviser for outgoing Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa and a military legislative assistant for Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
Wingate’s social media profile also identifies him as a retired soldier and the founder of RVbyMilitary, which is described on its website as “the first peer-to-peer Veteran owned & operated” online marketplace for renting and selling recreational vehicles.
