March 5, 2025 / 4:51 PM EST / CBS News
Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s chief of staff, Hayden Haynes, was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.
NBC News first reported details of the arrest, saying Haynes was given a citation to appear in court. Asked to confirm the report, U.S. Capitol Police said a driver backed into a parked vehicle near the Capitol around 11:40 p.m. and was taken into custody.
“We responded and arrested them for DUI,” police said in a statement, which did not identify the driver.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters on Capitol Hill that he was standing by his top aide. His spokesperson Taylor Haulsee reiterated that in a statement.
“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police. 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,” Haulsee said.
Haynes has been a longtime aide to Johnson, serving as his chief of staff since 2017 and as his campaign manager in 2016.
Michael Kaplan contributed to this report.
Caitlin YilekCaitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
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