FB Post Leads To FALSE Accusation Of Voter Intimidation Against Small VA. Gun Shop

Leaked emails show a local realtor and poll worker, both activists for Moms Demand Action, are behind the harassment and false accusations.

LOVETTSVILLE VIRGINIA –-(Ammoland.com)-A poll worked called the local Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney on Minutes Man Arms for what they thought was voter intimidation on Facebook.

The Northern Virginia gun shop made a Facebook post advertising a 9mm AR-15 pistol with an SB Tactical Brace that the store was selling.

The ad read: “$950…. the election is just around the corner…”

A volunteer poll worker, later identified as Kristen Swanson, ran across the ads while on Facebook. For some reason, the anti-gun activist & poll worker thought the ads were voter intimidation. Even though the posts did not mention any violence or anything about voting. She then contacted the Loudoun County Sheriffs’ Office and the local DA to report the post as voter intimidation.

Minutes Man Arms store owner, Warner Workman, said that he was talking about Biden’s stance on semi-automatic rifles and AR-style pistols. If Biden wins the election, he is planning on pushing for the banning of the sale and manufacture of AR-15s. The presidential candidate is also planning on making currently owned semi-automatic rifles NFA items. That would require the owners of the guns to pay a $200 tax stamp per gun.

“They heavily advocate for this – basically the banning, the import and the manufacturing of AR-style platforms. They’re just simply semi-automatic rifles…” Workman told a local TV station.

The complainant told the local FOX affiliate that they are concerned with people showing up at the polls armed. The complainant seems to be familiar with Workman and his store. The at the time unnamed person pointed out to Fox5 that Warner has supported the Second Amendment protest that spawned across the state in the past.

Virginia has been the scene of multiple large-scale protests over the new anti-gun laws that the Democrats have passed in the Commonwealth earlier in the year. Over 96% of the state has declared itself to be a Second Amendment sanctuary. Last January, tens of thousands of law-abiding gun owners showed up to Richmond to protest against the new gun laws.

“I’m just a Second Amendment retailer encouraging all law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. People are going to read into what they want,” Workman said.

Workman told AmmoLand News he believes that anti-gun activists have targeted him and his store in the past. Less than 24 hours after the complaints were filed, local news stations who were tipped off, and they started calling Workman for a comment on the accusation. A week earlier, someone complained to the health department that the gun shop was not following COVID-19 health regulations.

Lovettsville used to be a conservative area until these past few years when liberals from DC started moving to the small town. Local groups have protested in front of Minutes Man Arms in the past.

“They have been trying to shut me down since I have opened,” Workman told AmmoLand News. “They have demonstrated in front of my store in the past.”

AmmoLand News was able to obtain the original emails sparking the voter intimidation complaint investigation.

We were able to determine both emails originated from the groups Loudoun Progress (www.loudounprogress.org) and Moms Demand Action. The poll worker in question was Kristen Swanson. Swanson is a far-left activist who is a member of Moms Demand Action, Loudoun Progress, and the Catoctin Democrats. Workman helped defeat Swanson for Town Council leading some to believe this is petty retaliation.

The second complainant was by a real estate agent with Pearson Smith Realty and left-wing activist, Kris Consaul. Consaul is also a member of Loudoun Progress and an anti-gun advocate. She lost her bid for Town Mayor by a margin of 76% to 24%. Workman was also critical in her defeat. She also contacted the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to complain about the gun shop, but even the left-leaning board did not see a direct threat to voters. These complaints appear to be a concerted attack against Workman and Minute Man Arms.

When AmmoLand News reached out to Consaul for a comment she refused to go on the record and Swanson did not return AmmoLand New’s calls.

After an investigation, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department determined that the gun shop did not break any laws and did not intimidate voters.

Workman said he has requested an official copy of the Sheriff’s Department’s complaint and does not plan to change how he is doing business and wanted to thank the plaintiff for the free publicity.

Support your local gun shops!

About John Crump

John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.

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