Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn cited for bringing loaded gun to North Carolina airport

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., is seen in the U.S. Capitol as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spoke at length on the House floor to delay the Build Back Better Act vote on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

Police said Cawthorn brought a loaded handgun to an airport in North Carolina and was cited for having a dangerous weapon on city property.

The second time that Cawthorn was stopped at an airport in his home state, he was carrying a weapon.

Cawthorn was in hot water for driving without a valid license and for claiming that other members of Congress were using drugs and orgies. Kevin McCarthy said there was no evidence for Cawthorn's claims.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told WCNC TV that the lawmaker was cited at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Tuesday after a gun was detected at a security checkpoint.

CMPD officers identified the owner of the bag containing the firearm as David Madison Cawthorn.

According to the CMPD, Mr. Cawthorn stated that the firearm was his and he was cooperative with the officers.

Mr. Cawthorn was issued a citation for possession of a dangerous weapon on city property.

The CMPD took possession of the firearm after Mr. Cawthorn was released. It is standard procedure for the CMPD Airport Division to cite in lieu of arrest for the misdemeanor charge of possession of a dangerous weapon on city property unless there are other associated felony charges or extenuating circumstances.

A loaded Staccato 9mm handgun was found at an airport checkpoint. Time. A photograph of the seized gun was provided by the spokesman, who said the agency had a policy of not identifying individuals involved in weapons incidents.

Potential civil penalties from the TSA are also facing Cawthorn. Under agency rules, a person who violates weapons regulations at an airport could be fined up to $13,000, if a firearm was loaded and if a person has previously committed offenses of TSA rules.

A firearm detected at Checkpoint D at CLT this morning at approximately 9 a.m. (a loaded Staccato 9mm handgun), however, TSA does not release passenger information in any incident.

The Mecklenburg District Attorney's Office, which prosecutes people found with guns at airports, said in a statement that it will assess the case based on the strength of the evidence.

The D.A.'s office will refrain from further comment because the case is pending.

The spokesman for Cawthorn, who is the youngest member of Congress, did not immediately respond to emails and voicemails requesting comment on the report.

Brad Smith, a criminal defense lawyer in Charlotte who represents people charged with carrying guns at Charlotte Douglas, told CNBC that carrying a gun at the airport is a violation of Charlotte city law.

Smith said that it is not unusual for a person to receive a citation for such an offense, and that they are often arrested at the scene.

Smith said that more often than not you are taken to jail and booked.

The lawyer said that the office of the district attorney prosecutes those cases.

According to reports at the time, Cawthorn's gun was taken away from him in February of 2021, after it was found in his carry-on bag.

The congressman brought the gun in the bag by mistake, according to his spokesman.

Cawthorn was charged with driving with a revoked license in March. He was charged with the same charge in the year before, but it was dismissed.

In North Carolina, Cawthorn was cited for speeding twice, once for driving 89 mph in a 65 mph zone and the other for driving 87 mph in a 70 mph zone.