Is Anthony Sabatini’s gun giveaway legal?

Anthony Sabatini is the first shot in a fusillade against the Florida GOP.

Some candidates for Congress raffle off dinners and plane trips. Republican Anthony Sabantini plans soon to give someone a semi-automatic weapon.

The Howey-in-the-Hills Republican, a state lawmaker and candidate in Florida’s 7^th Congressional District, launched a gun giveaway this week. He plans to put an AR-15 in the hands of a lucky supporter. The campaign stunt serves as a protest of the nomination of David Chipman as director of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau.

“We must do everything we can to fight back against gun-grabbing activists, like David Chipman,” Sabatini wrote on his campaign site. “Make a donation of any size and I will automatically enroll you into our AR-15 giveaway!”

But is that legal?

An official rules page on Sabatini’s site values the prize gun, an Andro Corp Model ACI-15 caliber 5.56mm with Reflex sight, at approximately $1,000. That’s a significant award just in terms of monetary value.

Still, the Federal Elections Commission said there’s not a major problem with raffles. It isn’t uncommon for campaigns to sell merchandise or tie donations to a chance to go on a trip with a candidate.

“As far as raffles, there’s nothing in FEC rules that prohibits it,” said Miles Martin, a spokesperson for the FEC.

That said, there are other laws at play when it comes to firearms transactions in the state of Florida. Thanks to a law signed by former Gov. Rick Scott in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, gun purchases in Florida must be made by individuals 21 and older.

But the Sabatini raffle allows anyone 18 and older to enter.

That may because the rules seem to simply lift template rules to comply with raffles. That incidentally includes making tickets available even without a purchase of a ticket or donation to the campaign, an option often made available so contests don’t run afoul of gambling prohibitions. Contests often also are limited to adults.

Of note, the prize can be won by anyone living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, so Florida law doesn’t necessary impact the winner. But there are no guardrails seemingly stopping someone from entering the raffle.

The raffle prize is nontransferable.

Rules do include a demand the winner verify adherence to the law.

“The selected winner must conform to all local, state and federal regulations as applicable and must make arrangements for delivery of Prize with appropriate federally licensed firearms dealers as may be required by state or federal law,” the rules state. “In the event the selected Winner fails to respond within the given time period or is ineligible to accept the Prize, another winner will be selected.”

Sabatini did not respond to requests for comment.