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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGiffords Sues the National Rifle Association for Violating Campaign Finance Laws
Link to tweet
https://giffords.org/press-release/2021/11/giffords-sues-the-national-rifle-association-for-violating-campaign-finance-laws/
WASHINGTON, DCToday, Giffords filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against the NRA for violations of campaign finance laws dating back to 2014. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Giffords by Campaign Legal Center Action, alleges that the NRA engaged in a broad pattern of activity that violated the Federal Election Campaign Act. Since 2014, the NRA has made as much as $35 million in unlawful, excessive, and unreported in-kind campaign contributions to seven federal candidates, including candidates for US Senate in 2014, 2016, and 2018, and Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.
The NRA has long acted like it is above the law, and it has done so flagrantly in the last several election cycles. This lawsuit demonstrates that the NRA broke the law by illegally coordinating with federal campaigns and funneling millions of dollars to candidates who supported their extremist, deadly agenda, said David Pucino, Giffords Law Center Senior Staff Attorney. We are suing the NRA to finally hold them accountable for actions that corrupted politicians and undermined our democracy.
Campaign finance law prohibits groups like the NRA from buying influence over elected officials by coordinating spending with those candidates campaigns. When special interests like the NRA secretly collude with candidates, this illegal coordination corrupts our election process and deprives voters of their right to know who is spending to influence their vote, said Molly Danahy, Senior Legal Counsel for Litigation at Campaign Legal Center Action. The FEC had the chance to do its job by taking action against the NRA for this massive coordination scheme, but as usual, the FEC failed to enforce the law. Therefore, we are compelled to take legal action to crack down on secret spending.
Giffords filed aseriesofcomplaints in 2018 to alert the Federal Election Commission that the NRA was engaged in an unlawful scheme that violated federal election law. When the FEC did nothing, Giffords, represented by Campaign Legal Center Action, took the Commission to court. On September 30, the US District Court in Washington issued an order compelling the FEC to act on the complaints within 30 days. The FEC once again failed to do its job, and after 30 days elapsed, the Court ruled that Giffords could sue the NRA directly for violations of federal campaign finance law.
The NRA has long acted like it is above the law, and it has done so flagrantly in the last several election cycles. This lawsuit demonstrates that the NRA broke the law by illegally coordinating with federal campaigns and funneling millions of dollars to candidates who supported their extremist, deadly agenda, said David Pucino, Giffords Law Center Senior Staff Attorney. We are suing the NRA to finally hold them accountable for actions that corrupted politicians and undermined our democracy.
Campaign finance law prohibits groups like the NRA from buying influence over elected officials by coordinating spending with those candidates campaigns. When special interests like the NRA secretly collude with candidates, this illegal coordination corrupts our election process and deprives voters of their right to know who is spending to influence their vote, said Molly Danahy, Senior Legal Counsel for Litigation at Campaign Legal Center Action. The FEC had the chance to do its job by taking action against the NRA for this massive coordination scheme, but as usual, the FEC failed to enforce the law. Therefore, we are compelled to take legal action to crack down on secret spending.
Giffords filed aseriesofcomplaints in 2018 to alert the Federal Election Commission that the NRA was engaged in an unlawful scheme that violated federal election law. When the FEC did nothing, Giffords, represented by Campaign Legal Center Action, took the Commission to court. On September 30, the US District Court in Washington issued an order compelling the FEC to act on the complaints within 30 days. The FEC once again failed to do its job, and after 30 days elapsed, the Court ruled that Giffords could sue the NRA directly for violations of federal campaign finance law.
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Giffords Sues the National Rifle Association for Violating Campaign Finance Laws (Original Post)
LetMyPeopleVote
Nov 2021
OP
NRA ran shell companies to illegally fund Trump and other Republicans, Giffords group alleges in sui
LetMyPeopleVote
Nov 2021
#3
calimary
(81,417 posts)1. GOOD!
SoCalDavidS
(9,998 posts)2. Good Luck With That
The NRA has plenty of support from it's enablers, and will bleed the Giffords dry.
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,481 posts)3. NRA ran shell companies to illegally fund Trump and other Republicans, Giffords group alleges in sui
This is actually pretty clear and this will be a fun lawsuit to watch
Link to tweet
A gun-control nonprofit founded by former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D) filed a federal lawsuit against the National Rifle Association on Tuesday, alleging the group orchestrated an illegal, secret donation scheme involving millions of dollars that violated campaign finance laws and benefited then-candidate Donald Trump and other Republicans.
The lawsuit was filed by campaign finance watchdog Campaign Legal Center on behalf of Giffords in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It accuses the NRA of using a network of shell companies to skirt campaign finance laws and give money to Trump and GOP candidates.
The nonprofit, which is called Giffords, alleges the shell companies affiliated with the NRA illegally coordinated with Republican campaigns to use the same personnel and vendors to run ads for GOP candidates, claiming the vendors were functionally indistinguishable. Campaign finance laws state that such a practice is illegal.....
The lawsuit alleges as much as $35 million in unlawful and unreported in-kind campaign contributions went toward a scheme that goes back as early as 2014, with $25 million allegedly going toward Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Republican campaigns for Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale (Mont.) are named as defendants in the lawsuit, and GOP Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and former senator Cory Gardner of Colorado are also mentioned.
The lawsuit was filed by campaign finance watchdog Campaign Legal Center on behalf of Giffords in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It accuses the NRA of using a network of shell companies to skirt campaign finance laws and give money to Trump and GOP candidates.
The nonprofit, which is called Giffords, alleges the shell companies affiliated with the NRA illegally coordinated with Republican campaigns to use the same personnel and vendors to run ads for GOP candidates, claiming the vendors were functionally indistinguishable. Campaign finance laws state that such a practice is illegal.....
The lawsuit alleges as much as $35 million in unlawful and unreported in-kind campaign contributions went toward a scheme that goes back as early as 2014, with $25 million allegedly going toward Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Republican campaigns for Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale (Mont.) are named as defendants in the lawsuit, and GOP Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and former senator Cory Gardner of Colorado are also mentioned.
The FEC refused to act due to blockage by the GOP appointed members and os Gifford had the right to sue. This will be fun to watch