Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., was cited Tuesday for possession of a dangerous weapon after TSA agents at Charlotte Douglas International Airport found a loaded handgun in his belongings at a security checkpoint, reports NBC News.
Cawthorn, 26, was also stopped last year by TSA agents for carrying a 9mm handgun onto a flight out of Asheville, North Carolina.
Charlotte police said Cawthorn "stated that the firearm was his and he was cooperative" with officers.
A statement from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said, "Mr. Cawthorn was issued a citation for Possession of a Dangerous Weapon on City Property, which is a City of Charlotte Ordinance. Mr. Cawthorn was released, and the CMPD took possession of the firearm, which is normal procedure."
The citation is the latest in a series of unflattering headlines for the freshman lawmaker. In March, he was stopped for speeding and criminally charged with driving with a revoked license.
In a recent podcast, he linked members of his own party with orgies and cocaine use.
Cawthorn described the "sexual perversion that goes on in Washington" during an appearance of the Warrior Poet Society podcast, saying he was asked to join a "sexual get-together" at a politician's home.
"And I'm like, 'What did you just ask me to come to?' And then you realize they're asking you to come to an orgy," Cawthorn said.
He added: "There's some of the people that are leading on the movement to try and remove addiction in our country, and then you watch them do a key bump of cocaine right in front of you. And it's like, 'This is wild.' "
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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