GOP raffles gun in Rep. Giffords' district

Updated at 6:59 p.m. ET

Republicans in Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Arizona district are raffling off the same brand of gun that wounded the Democrat.

News of the Pima County Republican Party's raffle comes as the Federal Election Commission today unanimously approved the Arizona lawmaker's request to use campaign funds to pay for security upgrades to her home.

The GOP is asking for $10 per ticket for a chance to win a Glock 23, according to the Huffington Post. The party is selling 125 tickets, and the gun is the prize for helping the party get out the vote.

The Glock 23 is a version of the Glock 19, which was used in the Jan. 8 shooting rampage that left six people dead and wounded 13 others. Giffords, who was shot in the head, was meeting with constituents at a Tucson grocery store.

Mike Shaw, interim chairman of the Pima County GOP, told the Associated Press that he sees nothing inappropriate with the raffle. He said past gun raffles were effective fundraisers and that responsible gun ownership is a constitutional right.

But Democrats and gun-control advocates disagree. "It's disappointing," said Jeff Rogers, chairman of the Pima County Democratic Party. "The wounds are still healing (from the rampage) and this is like pulling a scab off a wound."

Caroline Brewer, a spokeswoman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the issue is not whether such a raffle is legal.

"It's a moral question. Where is their moral compass?" Brewer said. "It boggles the mind."

The FEC gave Giffords permission to use campaign funds for improved security at her home in Houston, where she has been undergoing therapy. The U.S. Capitol Police recommended the changes, which include better exterior lighting, improved locks and an alarm button.

The commission's advisory opinion noted that the security improvements are needed "due to violence and security threats stemming from her activities as a member of Congress."