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Rep. Rigell responds to gun rights attack ad

Posted at 8:03 PM, Mar 01, 2013
and last updated 2013-03-01 20:03:20-05

Republican Congressman Scott Rigell is responding to a television ad that attacks his position on gun rights.

The ad began airing in Hampton Roads this week and is paid for by the National Association for Gun Rights.

The ad starts off by claiming "Congressman Scott Rigell has teamed up with anti-gun Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy to pass Obama’s gun control."

NewsChannel 3 talked to Congressman Rigell from Washington, D.C. on Friday to get his response to the ad.

"They’re flat out false and they are misrepresenting who I am and what I believe about the Second Amendment," Rigell said.

Rigell says he is proud of his co-sponsorship on H.R. 452 which he says is tightly limited to two gun related crimes.

"I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt our Second Amendment rights, but I do want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and straw purchasers," Rigell explained. "This is just common sense and it certainly represents common ground."

The ad ends with Rigell's face morphing into that of President Obama and a claim "Scott Rigell doesn’t sound like a Republican. Tell Scott Rigell you don’t want any of Obama’s gun control."

It comes the same week that Rigell traveled with President Obama to Newport News Shipyard to talk sequestration.

"I took that opportunity and I’m glad that I did," Rigell explained.

Rigell says he will continue to work on bi-partisan initiatives and feels the ad represents only a small minority.

"I’m just going to keep operating out of conviction and doing what I’m doing," Rigell stated.