WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., was stopped with a loaded 9 mm revolver at a security check at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on Tuesday, marking the second instance since taking office that he has been caught with a weapon at an airport.
According to a police statement, the event happened just before 9 a.m., after the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was alerted that Transportation Security Administration officials had discovered a magazine, ammunition, and weapon in Cawthorn’s bags at a security checkpoint.
Cawthorn was given a ticket rather than being arrested for possessing a deadly weapon on city grounds, which is a misdemeanor. According to authorities, the airport, which is operated and owned by the city of Charlotte, has multiple signs indicating “no dangerous weapons allowed.” Cawthorn was helpful and told authorities that the weapon belonged to him, according to the statement.
According to a TSA spokeswoman, breaking gun laws can result in a fine of up to $13,900. It’s unclear if the agency will seek a penalty against Cawthorn at this time. While the company does not share the specifics of each instance, a representative stated that “in almost every incident we issue one,” with an investigation and possible punishment expected in the coming days.
Cawthorn was stopped from bringing a loaded 9 millimeter gun onboard an airplane out of Asheville, North Carolina, last year. According to the TSA, civil fines for “repeat violations” are frequently greater.
Officers seized possession of the weapon after Cawthorn was discharged on Tuesday, according to authorities.
Unless there are other felony charges or mitigating circumstances, a citation rather than an arrest is likewise standard procedure, according to the police department.
Cawthorn has been charged with two misdemeanors in the last 2 months. According to NBC NEWS, he was accused of driving with a suspended license in March and has two pending traffic fines. For the misdemeanor charge of driving without a license, he has a court date set for May 6.
According to Cawthorn’s 2019 federal court petition against the car insurance company, he was critically injured in a 2014 vehicle accident while traveling as a passenger in the vehicle of a friend who fell asleep behind the wheel.
On a podcast, he alleged that his congressional peers were consuming narcotics and inviting him to sex parties, which sparked outrage. Cawthorn talked about “the sexual perversion that goes on in Washington” on the podcast, and stated that several of his senior coworkers had asked him to a “sexual get-together.”
Senator Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, questioned Cawthorn’s maturity following his previous run-ins with the police on Tuesday.
Tillis backed state Sen. Chuck Edwards, Cawthorn’s primary opponent, last month.
