GOP Georgia congressman Paul Broun has a slight variation on Herbert Hoover’s 1928 presidential campaign of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage?” Broun would like to add an AR-15 in every home or at least one home. Broun is offering a drawing to his supporters to win an AR-15 to show his unparalleled support for gun ownership.
Here is the message received by Georgia voters:
You may recall Broun from his prior controversy for calling evolution a theory from the pit of Hell.
What is most interesting to me is the prospect of using campaign funds for what is a type of raffle. I presume the gun was purchased with campaign funds or donated by a campaign supporter. However, Broun is now using campaign resources to give away a valuable item. I have looked at the campaign laws and I do not see a clear violation. So here is my question: why couldn’t a candidate simply run continual raffles to get gifts to voters? There are the obvious provisions on vote buying:
§ 597. Expenditures to influence voting
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
However, this is being done long before the election and he is not demanding an assurance of a vote even though he is making the offer only to supporters. What would stop such a distribution of multiple guns or ammunition or other prizes to supporters?
This is obviously separate from the issue of the prize in this case being a gun. However, it is a lawful product and presumably the raffle is limited to adults allowed to own such a weapon. Yet, this is a valuable item being given with campaign funds or resources to a voter. Is it lawful simply because it is a one-time event?
Reblogged this on Gun Rights: Dayton, Ohio and commented:
Heck I think this is awesome! He it’s buying votes here, but rather simply conducting a raffle. He just happens to be a politician is all
Was this a leftover from “fast & furious” ???
I don’t know of a state in the union where a drawing, as opposed to raffle, is disallowed political activity so I can’t see a problem with this. The object in question is legally irrelevant and, if the gun-grabbers don’t like it so much the better.
Anything they say or do about it will only help Broun’s chances. They can’t really hurt him as it’s a wholly GOP field since it’s to replace a retiring Republican.
doglover: I suspect you are just a very weak troll, but just in case…. Why would the winner of this raffle likely use the gun for criminal purposes? The AR platform is immensely popular yet is used in a tiny fraction of all gun crimes. The last year I saw numbers for put the total number of gun homicides committed with ALL long guns, that is “normal” rifles, all shotguns, and ARs at around 300 out of 10,000.
historymaniacmegan: “Besides, didn’t someone use an AR-15 to kill a bunch of children at an elementary school? Yeah, it was at Sandy Hook around 2012.”
Yes, also all kinds of guns, cars, knives, clubs, bare hands, and any number of implements. Why single out one type that is used in so small a number of gun deaths? The worst gun mass murder in U.S. history was committed with two low powered handguns. Handguns are the preferred tools of criminals.
“And now the guy is raffling off an instrument of death as a campaign prize. Look, being against gun control is one thing, but raffling off a weapon I think should be banned, is just so disturbing to me.”
I suspect anything relating to guns is disturbing to you, and that’s your right. But this guy obviously has very conservative constituents likely to appreciate a prize like this. There appears to be no violation of the law, and as mentioned previously, it’s a pretty sure bet that the winner will have to pass the standard background checks. The likelihood that this gun will ever kill anything other than paper targets or watermelons is about as close to zero as you can get.
This guy’s stance on evolution is about a million times more disturbing than a gun raffle.
historymaniacmegan:
“And now the guy is raffling off an instrument of death as a campaign prize.”
I guess a bake sale is out of the question then?
Deaths from diabetes in 2007 – 71,382 people.
Warren Zevon is weighing in on politics. His song has resonance in GA.
Sample lyric:
Send lawyers, guns and money! Lord! Get me outta this!
I don’t know whether this is legal but I think such idea is beyond disturbing and ludicrous. Besides, didn’t someone use an AR-15 to kill a bunch of children at an elementary school? Yeah, it was at Sandy Hook around 2012. And now the guy is raffling off an instrument of death as a campaign prize. Look, being against gun control is one thing, but raffling off a weapon I think should be banned, is just so disturbing to me.
But why does he illustrate the offer with a picture of an M-4?
I do not see that this rises to the level of a campaign law violation. However, Rep. Broun should understand that he is promoting a form of gambling. My hope is that free guns will be insufficient to elevate this clown to the Senate.
Reblogged this on Reality Check.
The winner will probably use it to kill a bunch of kids in a school or people in a shopping center or movie. Won’t that be great PR for the politician?
waldo:
last presidential election, I heard stories of dems offering $25 for showing up and voting for democrats.
“Democratic Board of Elections Judge Eugene Lewis, 70, also a convicted cocaine trafficker and marijuana dealer serving a 12 years prison sentence, described how easily he bought votes over a period spanning three decades.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/25/drug-money-funds-voter-fraud-in-kentucky/
The obvious scandal would be if the AR-15 was one that was not manufactured by one of the local Georgia companies that specialize in these weapons.
good way to raise funds if you ask me. What if he was having a car raffle or a cake raffle?
An AR15 is a semi-automatic rifle in cal .223, one pull of the trigger, one round out. Less powerful than a semi-automatic deer rifle in cal. .30-06.
A good gunsmith could probably modify a deer rifle for 30 rounds. Why spray and pray? When one shot will do the trick.
Just what Georgia needs, more guns.
Usually, when a gun is offered as a raffle/contest prize, if the winner can not pass a background check, they are usually awarded an equivalent cash prize, or some other prize of equal value. It’s not really bad PR because honestly, a participant should have a very good idea as to whether or not they could pass a background check.
If I was running such a raffle & a prohibited person won, I would refund them their donation & pick another winner.
What would he do if someone won it that was not legally eligible to own one….. Bad PR…..
Don’t know the answer to your question, but seem to recall that Obama raffled off dinner with the candidate a time or two. Time is different than an object, but both seem to have monetary value so not sure why they should be treated differently for campaign law. Also, don’t candidates often provide free food and drinks for coming to campaign events?
Reblogged this on Give Me Liberty.
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.