Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour Arrested at Airport

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was arrested at an airport with a loaded handgun in his briefcase, saying later that he’ll pay a fine, according to reports.

Barbour, a governor of the state from 2004 to 2012, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, Jan. 30, that he was trying to get on a plane Jan. 2 from the Jackson airport to Washington, D.C. He said he forgot that he was carrying a gun that he had placed in his briefcase after an assistant removed it from his vehicle.

“This was absentmindedness and nobody’s fault but mine,” said Barbour, 70, who is now a lobbyist, according to AP.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said a worker at the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport saw a .38-caliber handgun loaded with five bullets in a carry-on bag.

The passenger was then arrested after a TSA worker contacted the police. Farbstein later confirmed that it was a former governor, but she didn’t mention Barbour by name. Barbour later confirmed it was him, AP reported.

Farbstein added, “The former governor was arrested by airport police, posted bond, and was able to catch his flight,” reported Breitbart.

Barbour said he wasn’t handcuffed and no mugshot was taken. He said the TSA officers were “very nice but very professional.”

“They did exactly what they should have done, which was treat me like anybody else,” Barbour told AP.

The TSA’s fine for having a loaded handgun at an airport security checkpoint starts at $3,920.

The TSA also said, “Individuals who bring weapons to the checkpoint are subject to federal civil penalties of up to $13,000. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane,” according to the Hattiesburg Patriot publication.

Recommended Video:

How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers