Top House Speaker Mike Johnson aide pleads not guilty to DUI charge [View all]
JUST IN: The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Hayden Haynes, pleaded not guilty to 2 DUI-related charges after he allegedly crashed into a parked car late on the night Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last month. w/@kyledcheney www.politico.com/live-updates...
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein.bsky.social) 2025-04-03T15:07:22.835Z
Top Johnson aide pleads not guilty to DUI charge
Hayden Haynes is accused of striking a vehicle on the Capitol campus while driving drunk.
By Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein
04/03/2025, 11:01am ET
Speaker Mike Johnsons chief of staff pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he drove under the influence and operated a vehicle while impaired on the night of President Donald Trumps address to a joint session of Congress.
Hayden Haynes appeared by videoconference for a hearing before D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann, accompanied by prominent white collar attorney Stuart Sears. Sears has previously represented Steele Dossier source Igor Danchenko (who was acquitted of charges brought by special counsel John Durham), Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller and Mueller investigation witness Sam Patten.
Sears did most of the talking Thursday, although Haynes identified himself to the judge at the beginning of the brief court session. According to the U.S. Capitol Police officer who arrested Haynes early on the morning of March 5, the Johnson aide could not complete a sobriety test after twice striking a black Chevy Suburban with his white Tesla sedan.
Herrmann permitted Haynes to remain on release while his charges are pending, but required him to submit to a drug test and drug/alcohol assessment and ordered him to refrain from driving after taking any drugs or drinking alcohol. His next court date is next month. ... Haynes is being prosecuted by the office of D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.