It was all a scam.

Just hours into a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives, congressional Democrats sent out no fewer than three different emails pressing supporters for campaign contributions:

Democrats were taking a stand – by having a seat on the House floor and refusing to budge until Republicans agreed to have gun control votes – but they were making a buck too.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports House Democrats, sent out a flurry of emails throughout the sit-in, which started before lunch Wednesday and hasn’t stopped yet.

‘We’re emailing you so early because we need to defeat these AWFUL Republicans,’ read one, addressed to supporters from Rep. John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat and civil rights movement veteran, who kicked off the staged protest yesterday.

In another email, this one authored by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, she calls the protest’ an historically important moment!’

She calls the Republicans’ actions ‘shameful.’

…

‘The Republicans refuse to lift a finger,’ Pelosi wrote, asking Democratic supporters for ‘6,OOO gifts in the door during tonight’s sit-in.’

In another fundraising email, Ryan’s move to the floor was documented.

‘Paul Ryan FINALLY made it to the House floor late last night…but he REFUSED to hold a vote on gun safety!’ it said.

Donations could be anywhere between $1 and $250, each of the fundraising pleas said.

It’s all making sense now.

The House Democrats were chanting “No bill, no break” during their public relations stunt, confusing everyone who was well aware of the fact that there weren’t simply any gun bills to be voted upon. An amendment offered up by one Democrat to strip the constitutional rights from more than 600,000 American citizens on the comically mismanaged watch lists had already been defeated. 

The sit-in was staged to chant for something that simply did not exist. It now seems shamefully apparent that the sit-in was nothing more or less than the most cynical of stunts to con donors into parting with their money.

How vile is it that these same House progressives who so viciously claim that the National Rifle Association (NRA) profits from terrorism so cynically attempts to exploit an attack on a gay nightclub to fatten their campaign coffers?