Major contributors to a conservative group have been offered a special invitation to shoot machine guns with Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL credited with killing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, at a price of $50,000 a ticket.
Those invited by the ForAmerica organization have until May 10 to RSVP the event, billed as “a historic weekend honoring Navy Seal hero Robert O’Neill,” at the Amangani Resort Hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, located at the southern tip of Grand Tetons National Park. Rooms at the hotel can cost more than $1,000 per night, The Washington Post reported Friday.
“Our event will consist of clay, pistol and ’machine gun fun’ competitions with Rob O’Neill,” documents for the fundraiser say, the The Washington Post reported.
The ForAmerica group is run by America Inc. of Reston, Virginia, and was founded in 2009 by conservative commentator Brent Bozell. Mr. Bozell also founded the Media Research Center, which provides conservative critiques of the media.
ForAmerica group received nearly $4.9 million in donations in 2012 and $2.5 million in 2013, according to tax records.
A spokesman for Mr. O’Neill told The Post that the SEAL veteran continues to speak with a variety of groups and agreed to attend ForAmerica’s event “as a favor to a friend who has been helping him out.”
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Mr. O’Neill left the Navy in 2012 after 16 years of service and 400 missions, including the SEAL Team 6 raid in Pakistan that killed bin Laden on May 2, 2011.
After leaving the military he co-founded the Your Grateful Nation charity, which serves Special Operations veterans transitioning out of the military.
In a statement to The Washington Times, Mr. Bozell said that his staff jumped the gun in sending out the invitation for the event and that Mr. O’Neill had not seen the invitation.
“Our team got a little ahead of itself in putting out the invitation to enjoy a weekend of sport shooting with American hero Rob O’Neill. Rob never saw the invitation that was sent out by our staff, something that should have occurred and for which I take full responsibility. We deeply regret that the invitation described Mr. O’Neill in a way that is inconsistent with the high standards he applies when he characterizes the service of Navy SEALS to our country,” Mr. Bozell said.
He clarified that there would be no machine guns involved at the event and said it is strictly a sport shooting event.
Mr. Bozell also indicated that the proceeds from the ticket sales would go toward Mr. O’Neill’s charitable efforts.
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“We want to honor our military and support Rob’s ’Your Grateful Nation’ foundation, which does noble work for American heroes. We are honored that Rob is joining us and greatly appreciate all he has done in the service of our country,” Mr. Bozell said. “It is our intention to introduce Rob to a whole new community of supporters to advance his tremendous charity work to help his military brothers and sisters.”
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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