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FACT BRIEF

Is Wisconsin House of Representatives candidate Derrick Van Orden on probation for carrying a loaded gun into an airport?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

In August 2021, Wisconsin House candidate Derrick Van Orden was cited for carrying a loaded gun into an Iowa airport. Court records show he had a loaded 9 mm handgun in his carry-on bag at the security checkpoint at the Cedar Rapids airport.  

He pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2021. Van Orden received two fines and had to take a firearms safety course. Van Orden was also placed on unsupervised probation through Dec. 27, 2022.

In a statement to Wisconsin Public Radio, Van Orden's campaign characterized the incident as "purely accidental."

Content Image
Here is the ticket written to Wisconsin congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden for carrying a loaded weapon as he boarded a plane in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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Sources
Wisconsin Public Radio Congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having gun in carry-on bag at Iowa airport
La Crosse Tribune GOP congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having loaded gun in Iowa airport
Kenosha News GOP congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden fined for having loaded gun in Iowa airport
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.