Candidate Uses Campaign Email to Offer Gun Deals

Extreme couponing just took on a whole new meaning.

Voters who signed on for the Sean Jerguson campaign newsletter are reporting that they now get newsletters for Jerguson's gun store,

Jerguson is the current District 22 representative and incumbent for the newly formed District 21, running against .

Blog for Democracy, along with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, report that Jerguson used his campaign email list to send out a newsletter for specials on shotguns at his store.

And for those who wish to cash in on the special, they get an extra 250 shotgun shells when they bring in the newsletter.

The reported newsletter, attached to this story, has "Georgians for Jerguson" at the top that links to the Elect Sean Jerguson official website.

Jerguson's campaign rival

But what about candidates giving gifts like discounts to constituents?

In an email, Turner offered the following statement concerning the newsletter:

"I do not want to rush to judgment about the accusations mentioned in the article; however, it leads me to ask some serious questions, the answers to which the voters in the new 21st are entitled to know.

• Did the constituents who signed up for the campaign email understand that they were also signing up to receive advertisements for Representative Jerguson’s personal business?

• How is the newsletter funded -- by campaign funds, or from his business’s advertising budget?  Did Representative Jerguson co-mingle campaign funds and personal or business expenses?
  
  
• Has his campaign appropriately disclosed any contributions made by his personal business?
  
  
• Does the Representative believe it is ethical to leverage his elected position to advertise his personal business?

• Have any ethics laws been violated?

• Does the Representative consider this an appropriate use of campaign resources?

I think all of the voters of the new 21st should be asking Representative Jerguson these questions."

And, in case you're wondering, the deal was $50 off a shotgun and a free case of ammo with any shotgun purchase.