Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn pleaded guilty on May 5 to bringing a loaded gun into an airport last year, accepting responsibility for making such a “mistake.”
Prosecutors wanted Cawthorn to relinquish his Staccato 9 mm handgun, but District Court Judge Cecilia Oseguera allowed the former congressman, who lost his renomination bid to fellow Republican Chuck Edwards in 2022, to keep the weapon.
Oseguera ordered a $250 fine against Cawthorn, who had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for having immediate access to a dangerous weapon on city property. The 9 mm gun, which was seized from Cawthorn at a checkpoint last year, will be returned.
“Mr. Cawthorn accepted responsibility for this mistake,” his lawyer Missy Owens said. “Law enforcement noted his cooperative attitude at every step. He chose to resolve this case in a manner that would ensure his uninterrupted right to possess a firearm. He remains staunchly committed to responsible gun ownership.”
The incident took place in April 2022 when workers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found the 9 mm handgun in Cawthorn’s bag during a security screening at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.
Caught With a Gun
This isn’t the first time that Cawthorn has run into trouble with the TSA for possessing a gun. On Feb. 13, 2021, agents from the Asheville Regional Airport found a loaded 9 mm Glock inside his bag during the screening process.Cawthorn did not face any state charges at the time, even though there are local and state laws banning bringing firearms inside an airport. Airport safety officials tend not to charge an individual when they detect no criminal activity and when the person voluntarily removes the firearm.
An individual who carries a loaded firearm through TSA security checkpoints can be punished with a fine ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 as well as federal prosecution. A person caught for repeat offenses can face fines of up to $13,910, together with a criminal referral for prosecution.
In April 2022, after his gun was confiscated by TSA officials at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cawthorn admitted that he had made a mistake.
Previous Controversies
Cawthorn has been embroiled in multiple other controversies before. He has been cited for speeding violations multiple times. In March 2022, he was charged with driving with a revoked license.That same month, Cawthorn said that a few unnamed lawmakers on Capitol Hill had offered him drugs and invited him for sexual gatherings. The comment attracted criticism from Republican colleagues, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said that Cawthorn had no evidence for such claims.
In late April, photos published online showed Cawthorn wearing women’s lingerie. He insisted that the incident had occurred as part of a game on a cruise ship where his mother was also present.
