GOP Congressman Fundraising Off Police Investigation Into His Photo With AR-15

Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Ken Buck (R-CO) pose with an AR-15 rifle in Buck's Capitol Hill office.
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Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) is turning a reported police investigation into a fundraising opportunity.

In an email sent to supporters on Tuesday, Buck blasted “Anti-Gun Liberals” who he said reported him to police for posing in a photo on Capitol Hill holding his American flag-patterned AR-15 rifle alongside Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC).

“Anti-Gun Liberals are leading a full attack against Trey Gowdy and me over the picture taken above,” Buck said in the email. “Some have even gone far enough to report me to the police even though we had the gun checked out and approved by the U.S. Capitol Police.”

The Hill reported earlier Tuesday that the Washington, D.C. attorney general’s office referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police Department. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office told the publication that it’s illegal to possess an AR-15 in the District.

But a Capitol Police spokeswoman told The Hill that members of Congress are exempt from rules that prevent people from possessing assault weapons in the district. Buck was allowed to keep the rifle in his office and transport it on Capitol grounds as long as it was “unloaded and securely wrapped,” the spokeswoman, Kimberly Schneider, told the publication.

In the email, Buck asked supporters to donate to “strengthen our fight against anti-gun activists.”

“The Second Amendment exists to protect your God-given right to bear arms,” the email continued. “The actions by Anti-Gun Liberals against Trey Gowdy and me are just another attempt to strip us of our rights.”

View the email below:

This post has been updated.

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for buzz buzz says:

    Only in this country can you solicit donations over a criminal act and still get away with it.

  2. Very festive looking gun, the perfect weapon for yer basic 'murican.

    Only question I have is about his hair. Does he wear the cone-head costume to get that look or does he practice stylish sleep positions?

    Oh WAIT!!!

    It’s just lil’ Kenny Buck practicing one of his Dog gibben rights…

  3. “God-given right”?? Wha…?!

  4. Anti-gun liberals? DC is highly restrictive about guns including ones like that and you tweeted the image, you dipshit.

  5. I bet no one - NO ONE else off the street can get away with carrying a “patriotic paperweight” into the Capitol Building. But these guys get preferential treatment because of their positions, can play victim by screaming about the “anti-gunners” and raise money off of it.

    Remind me again about how we are all equal and everyone is treated the same?

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