Foreign policy expert at the Heritage Foundation -- which has close ties toTrump admin -- is arrested after trying to enter Senate office building with drugs and ammunition

(MS Now -- News Junkies, Facebook)

An official with the Heritage Foundation faces a drug possession charge after a security screening found he had cocaine and fentanyl in his possession -- along with a pistol magazine and 10 rounds of ammunition -- as he tried to enter a U.S. Senate office building. The incident took place last Friday, July 24. The NOTUS (News of the United States) website apparently was first to report the arrest, with a post that was published at 4:38 p.m. on July 24 under the headline "A Heritage employee was caught with drugs trying to get into the Senate, Police say."

The article includes a sub-heading that reads "Matthew Christopher Wingate was stopped for having a pistol magazine in his briefcase, according to a court affidavit." Daniella Diaz writes for NOTUS:

A Heritage Foundation employee faces a drug-possession charge after a security screening at a Senate office building turned what tested presumptively positive as cocaine and fentanyl, according to court records.

Capitol Police officers detained Matthew Christopher Wingate on July 14 after he entered the Russell Senate Office Building and placed his bag on the X-ray belt as part of routine screening, according to an affidavit filed in Washington, D.C., superior court.

NOTUS identifies Wingate as an employee of the Heritage Foundation -- a right-wing think tank that is credited with creating Project 2025, which generally is seen as a governing blueprint for the Trump administration. And Wingate, it turns out, is much more than a low-level employee. Diaz writes:

Wingate is the government-relations director for defense and foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation, and previously worked as a national security adviser for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and a military legislative assistant for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), according to Legistorm.

An officer observed an image consistent with a pistol magazine inside the brown briefcase, and a secondary screening found a magazine with 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, the affidavit states. 

Officers placed him under arrest, the affidavit states. That was apparently because of the magazine. Firearms and ammunition are generally prohibited from being carried into Senate office buildings. 

Why would a defense and foreign-policy expert for the best known and most influential right-wing think tank in Washington, D.C., be taking drugs and ammunition into a U.S. Senate building? That is just one of many questions this incident raises. Diaz writes:

Officers ran a check through the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gun Registry Unit, which confirmed Wingate held a valid license to carry a firearm in D.C., the affidavit states.

A crime-scene officer discovered a plastic sandwich bag in the exterior pocket of the briefcase containing four capsules and three blue-pressed tablets, the affidavit states. Field testing of the blue pills, which were imprinted with the letter “A” on one side and “7 6” on the other side, returned a presumptive positive result for cocaine and fentanyl, the affidavit states.

When questioned by officers, Wingate provided some curious answers of "the dog ate my homework" variety. Diaz reports:

Under questioning, Wingate said he forgot the magazine was in the briefcase and “explained that the drugs were his and were prescribed to him from a medical professional,” the affidavit states.

Wingate did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Heritage Foundation and Wingate’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

Wingate was released from custody on the misdemeanor charge and has an Aug. 27 court date, according to court records.

Given the prominent role the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 play with the Trump administration, this could prove to be a profoundly important story, one that raises a host of issues and questions. We will be examining those issues in upcoming posts.