Senate aide arrested for carrying gun, ammo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat and gun rights advocate, was arrested on Monday by Capitol Police for carrying a loaded gun and two full ammunition magazines into a Senate office building.

Media outlets cited an unnamed congressional official who said the gun belonged to Webb, but his office refused to comment.

Webb's victory in the Virginia race last year clinched Democrats' 51-49 takeover of the Senate and control of Congress.

The aide, identified by the senator's office as Phillip Thompson, was arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a license, unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition, the police said in a statement.

The weapon was discovered during a routine X-ray. The aide will remain in a Washington jail overnight and be arraigned on the charges on Tuesday, said a police spokeswoman.

"To our knowledge, this incident was an oversight by the senator's aide," said Webb's communications director Jessica Smith. "We are still awaiting facts."

She described Thompson as a former Marine and a longtime friend of Webb.

In some cases and under certain conditions, it is legal to carry a concealed weapon in Virginia.

Webb said in a December 2006 interview with the Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper that he did not regularly carry a gun but liked having the option to do so.

"I value the opportunity to be able to protect myself, depending on situations. But no, I don't walk around with a weapon on me all of the time," he told the newspaper.