Capitol Police charged House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) chief of staff, Hayden Haynes, with a DUI after President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night.
Haynes reportedly struck a Capitol vehicle with his car and was arrested and released with a citation to appear in court.
“A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m.,” Capitol Police said in a statement to NBC News. “We responded and arrested them for DUI.”
Johnson is backing his chief of staff despite the charge on a night when Johnson had plenty of television time behind Trump.
“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his chief of staff and the Capitol Police,” Johnson spokesman Taylor Haulsee told the Washington Examiner. “The speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his chief of staff for his entire tenure in Congress. Because of this and Hayden’s esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden’s ability to lead the Speaker’s office.”
The speaker reiterated his support of Haynes to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
“I am, I am,” he said in response to a question about whether he was standing by him.
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Haynes has been Johnson’s chief of staff since he became speaker in October 2023. Before that, he worked for Johnson as the chief of staff in his personal office from 2017 to 2023.
The chief of staff of the speaker of the House is one of the most powerful aide positions on Capitol Hill.
