CHICAGO — State Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) put to rest speculation that he might abandon his campaign for Congress in the wake of felony charges that he brought a gun through a security checkpoint at O'Hare Airport.
When pressed for comment outside a Cook County courthouse, Trotter replied, "Jesse Jackson Jr. has resigned, and there has been a void."
While casting himself as the best contender to replace Jackson in the 2nd Congressional District, Trotter acknowledged that he has work to do to secure support from the Democratic Party.
"It's still a counting process ... We're not done counting votes yet," he said.
Moments earlier, a judge granted a motion from the Cook County state's attorney's office to continue Trotter's case.
On Dec. 6, Trotter allegedly brought an unregistered handgun and bullets through an O’Hare Airport security checkpoint on his way to Washington, D.C., DNAinfo.com reported earlier this month.
Trotter was charged with felony attempt to board an aircraft with a weapon and posted $25,000 bail.
Transportation Security Administration agents reportedly discovered an unloaded .25-caliber pistol and a loaded magazine inside Trotter’s garment bag about 8 a.m. Trotter told investigators that he worked the late shift as a security guard for Allpoints Security and Detective Inc. the night before and didn’t realize the weapon and bullets were in his bag when he packed for his trip, sources said.
Despite Trotter's claim that his gun was legally registered in Chicago, a search of handgun records revealed that it was not, prosecutors said at an earlier hearing.
Trotter has a permit to carry a handgun while working as a security guard and traveling to and from his job. Trotter also has a valid firearm owner's identification card that listed his address as his Senate office at the state Capitol rather than his South Shore home, sources said.
A spokesman for Allpoints has declined to comment on Trotter or verify that he worked security the night before he was arrested at O'Hare.
Trotter is among a host of hopefuls for the 2nd Congressional District seat vacated by Jackson for what Jackson termed medical reasons. The son of the civil rights leader also is under a federal investigation into his campaign finances.
