Latest on Lundy: Democrat still claims he trusts CHL-holders, despite proposing amendments and casting votes against them

by Chad D. Baus

On Monday, April 25, Buckeye Firearms Association exposed Rep. Matt Lundy (D) for having lied on his 2010 candidate survey by publishing an article at BuckeyeFirearms.org, issuing a press release to hundreds of news outlets in Ohio, emailing thousands of pro-gun voters, and sharing these facts in a newspaper advertisement published this week in newspapers that cover his district, the Lorain Morning-Journal and the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

His responses to the revelations, as expressed in quotes to the media, are only serving to allow Lundy to dig a deeper hole for himself.

The following day, when asked about why he had not returned Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine's repeated phone messages, Lundy told The Chronicle-Telegram that he had returned the calls but been unable to reach Irvine. After reading Lundy's claim, Irvine noted that if Lundy did try to call, "he never got me, nor left me a voicemail/ email/ or text message. I know I called his office several times leaving messages for a call back." In other words, Lundy, who has already been proved to be dishonest, has no proof to back up his claim to have returned Irvine's calls, nor any explanation for why he didn't just pull aside one of the BFA representatives who attended the five hearings this legislation received in Lundy's committee to express his concerns.

Two days after the BFA ad ran in Lorain, The Morning-Journal published another article on exposure of Lundy's lies.

From the article:

An Ohio gun rights group has accused state Rep. Matt Lundy of lying to get their endorsement.

The Buckeye Firearms Association this week has published advertisements accusing the Elyria Democrat of turning his back on Ohio gun owners.

The ads reveal Lundy's answers to questions about legislation that would change Ohio's rules for carrying a concealed handgun in restaurants and transporting a gun in a vehicle.

"He told us in no uncertain terms that he would support our bills," said Jim Irvine, chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association. "Now that he's in office, he appears to be working against us. If that's not lying, I don’t know what is."

Yesterday, Lundy acknowledged he will not support the bill, known as House Bill 45, which is awaiting a vote by the House legislators. Lundy voted against the bill in committee.

Lundy said he had not yet seen the exact ads from the Buckeye Firearms Association.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed," Lundy said about the ads.

The bill would allow concealed-carry permit holders to take guns into restaurants and bars, Lundy said.

"I've made my position clear that I believe the concealed carry owners would act responsibly," Lundy said. "My concern is about others in the bar consuming alcohol. That's where I think the problem arises. My concern always is that someone will take the gun away from them."

But for all of his purported trust for CHL-holders, and concern about their guns being taken away from them, none of Lundy's amendments addressed the concerns he now professes to the news media, nor was any evidence presented in committee to back up his professed concern.

Instead, Lundy's amendments were poison pills focused on restricting the rights of the very CHL-holders he still claims to trust, and whose support he knew he needed during the last election.

But despite his blatant actions against gun owners, Lundy told The Morning Journal he remains "a strong supporter of the Second Amendment."

The Buckeye Firearms Association "just didn't get the vote they wanted this time, but I work for my constituents and this was the view they strongly expressed to me," Lundy said.

As BFA ponders in the newspaper ad, "if Matt Lundy will lie about one thing, how many more lies has he told, and just not (yet) been caught?" If he lied on his candidate survey, for example, would he also be willing to falsely claim to have received strong feedback from his constituents against this legislation when he did not?

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.