Security Company Won't Confirm Whether It Employs Gun-Carrying Lawmaker

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some serious questions have surfaced about state Sen. Donne Trotter's alibi about the gun he had when trying to get onto a flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

CBS 2's Mike Parker reports.

Trotter claimed he forgot he had a handgun in his bag because he had worked the night before as a security guard.

But an informed source is telling CBS 2 that Trotter never worked as a guard and that the security company listed him as an employee on their books as a political favor.  That favor allowed Trotter to get a city permit to carry a concealed handgun, with some restrictions.

A spokesman for the company, Allpoints Security, did not shed much light on the matter.

"Everything is being looked into, and as we assess things, we'll get back to you in a short manner," Don Rashid told Parker. "I can't respond to these questions at this time."

Neither did Trotter. Nobody answered the door at his South Side home.

But at some constituents were talking about it.  One of them, Donna Hawkins, said she's not sure Trotter can be trusted, and she doesn't plan to vote for him if he runs for the 2^nd Congressional District following the resignation of Jesse Jackson Jr.

Trotter's state firearm permit allows him to carry a weapon at work and during his commute time.

His card also lists his address as his Senate office at the capital in Springfield, not at his Chicago home.

Allpoints Security has been actively supporting local political candidates with close to $50,000 in contributions over the past decade. Trotter collected $500 of that money. The firm also has a contract to provide security at city libraries.  It is worth a reported $735,000 dollars. It expires next year.

Trotter's predicament drew stern remarks from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who said the state lawmaker should face the music on the weapons charge, wherever that leads.

"We can't make exceptions because someone's an elected official," Durbin told reporters Friday. "This applies to everybody across the board. Don't tempt us, don't try to test the system because we're serious about safety on our airplanes."

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• Gun
• Mike Parker