Michael Bloomberg and Tom Ridge (Photo: Peter Foley/EPA/Newscom)
Michael Bloomberg’s new $50 million anti-gun group is off to a rocky start just days after launching.
Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania and Homeland Security secretary, resigned from the organization, the Daily Caller reported.
Bloomberg’s new group is called Everytown for Gun Safety, an umbrella organization that will oversee the work of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The goal, according to the New York Times, is to “expand the background check system for gun buyers both at the state and national levels.”
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Ridge, a supporter of gun control, was among a few high-profile figures selected to serve on the Bloomberg group’s advisory board.
“When I signed on as an adviser to Everytown, I looked forward to a thoughtful and provocative discussion about the toll gun violence takes on Americans,” Ridge told the Daily Caller in a statement.
“After consultation with Everytown, I have decided that I am uncomfortable with their expected electoral work,” Ridge said. “Therefore, we have decided that we will pursue this issue in our separate spheres.”
Bloomberg also tapped philanthropist Eli Broad, investor Warren Buffett and former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Michael Mullen to serve on the board.
