In Case You Missed
It
U.S. House
candidate offers up booze, cigars and guns to raise
cash
By
Fredreka Schouten - July 14, 2014
USA Today
With only a few weeks left before the Republican primary, an Arizona House
candidate hopes he has landed on a formula to attract new donors.
Andrew Walter is hosting an “Evening of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms” Friday
night at a gun club in Scottsdale. Contributors who buy the “expert package” at
$1,000 each will get 250 rounds of ammunition and the chance to fire from three
weapons. Those donating $250 get a single box of ammo for the opportunity to
shoot a Glock 18, a handgun typically used by law enforcement.
Donor response so far has been positive, said campaign manager Chris Tolino.
“Arizona is a very strong Second Amendment state,” he said. “Firearm ownership
and the outdoor lifestyle are very prominent out here.”
Walter, a former NFL quarterback, is vying against retired Air Force pilot
Wendy Rogers in next month’s primary. Rogers had the fundraising lead through
March 31. New fundraising reports are due Tuesday.
Politicians have combined weapons and fundraising for years. Since March
2013, at least seven candidates have sought to lure donors with the promise of
shooting at things, according to a database maintained by the non-partisan
Sunlight Foundation, which tracks fundraising activity. They range from skeet
shooting last year to raise money for Idaho GOP Sen. Mike Crapo’s leadership PAC
to a trap shoot last month to help underwrite the campaign of a New York State
Assembly candidate.
Other politicians have raffled off AK-47s.
Despite the controversy over recent mass shootings, gun-related fundraising
“has continued to be a successful means of galvanizing support and raising
money,” said Palmer Gibbs, who maintains Sunlight’s database of fundraising
events. “It’s becoming one of those dog-whistle political issues. You can say as
lot if are you are raffling off a gun or holding a shooting event.”
Arizona was the site of a January 2011 shooting rampage that killed six and
wounded 13 including then-representative Gabby Giffords. Giffords, who resigned
from Congress to focus on her recovery, has become one of the nation’s leading
gun-control advocates.
Tolino called the Gifford’s shooting an “absolute tragedy” but said “the vast
majority of gun owners in Arizona are responsible, gun-owning citizens.”
Despite the attention-grabbing title, no alcohol will be served at the range,
he said. Instead, participants will repair to a nearby restaurant for cocktails
and cigars once the shooting is over.
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