Republican Senator Showed Capitol Police Her Congressional Pin During Traffic Stop

A Republican senator is accused of showing her congressional pin to US Capitol Police after being pulled over for a traffic stop Thursday.

According to CNN, Marsha Blackburn’s car was pulled over while en-route to the airport as she made her way to Memphis following a congressional recess. Multiple sources familiar with the senator’s situation and text messages from her aides say the GOP senator stepped out of the vehicle and identified as a senator. And then showed the officer her congressional pin. The officer let the car go, and there is no record of the incident.

Blackburn’s aide, Leo Kowalski, told his friends that she “hopped out, flashed her pin, hopped back in the car [and] said ‘drive!'”

“Officer didn’t say a word, just shook his head,” Kowalski said in a text message that was viewed by CNN.

“While en-route to the airport to fly to Memphis for constituent meetings, Sen. Blackburn’s driver was pulled over,” a spokesperson for Blackburn said in a statement. “The police officer asked the Senator for identification, which she provided, and then proceeded to the airport.”

One US Capitol Police spokesperson said there is no record of the stop and declined to comment further to the outlet. Another spokesperson said the situation is not uncommon for senators.

According to the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, House and Senate lawmakers are afforded immunity from arrest as they arrive and leave session. So although Blackburn’s behavior looks terrible, she was well within her rights as a lawmaker leaving session.