Tom Ridge Quits New Bloomberg Anti-Gun Group
Saturday, 26 Apr 2014 08:31 PM
"When I signed on as an adviser to Everytown, I looked forward to a thoughtful and provocative discussion about the toll gun violence takes on Americans,” Ridge, who served under President George W. Bush, told The Daily Caller in a statement. "After consultation with Everytown, I have decided that I am uncomfortable with their expected electoral work."
Having Ridge aboard was considered a coup for Bloomberg because the former Pennsylvania governor is a Republican, the Daily Caller reports. The former mayor, whose 12-year term ended in January, was planning to spend $50 million on the group in hopes of it rivaling the National Rifle Association, according to The New York Times.
But earlier this month, the GOP mayor of Danbury, Ct., resigned from Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns, saying the billionaire "overwhelms the entire group."
Mark Boughton, who's also among several GOP candidates in the Connecticut gubernatorial race, said that the group's focus had changed from illegal gun trafficking to broader gun controls.
"It's really become about Bloomberg instead of going after illegal guns," he told The Connecticut Mirror. "Mike Bloomberg overwhelms the entire group. I think its mission has been lost."
Everytown, which released a new video on Friday, told the Times that it was disappointed by Ridge’s decision.
Story continues below video.
"Our organization represents the views of the majority of Americans who support reasonable laws to keep families safe," the organization said in a statement. "When necessary, that will mean taking on the gun lobby in state capitols and at the ballot box."
Related Stories:
- Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns Merges With Grassroots Moms Group
- Mayors Feel Misled, Quitting Bloomberg's Gun-Control Group
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