A new lawsuit alleges that the National Rifle Association illegally funneled millions of dollars to former President Donald Trump and Republicans, HuffPost reports.
The watchdog group Campaign Legal Center filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of the gun safety group Giffords accusing the NRA of using shell corporations to funnel money to Trump and others.
“Over the past seven years, the National Rifle Association has engaged in an ongoing scheme to evade campaign finance regulations by using a series of shell corporations to illegally but surreptitiously coordinate advertising with at least seven candidates for federal office,” the lawsuit says.
“Through this scheme, two NRA affiliates made up to $35 million in illegal, excessive, and unreported campaign contributions across the 2014, 2016 and 2018 elections, including up to $25 million to the Trump campaign in 2016,” it continues. “These coordinated contributions violate the Federal Election Campaign’s Act’s (‘FECA’) contribution limits, corporate contribution ban, and disclosure requirements.”
Big names:
Along with Trump, the NRA is accused of funneling money to Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, as well as former Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner and Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale.
The lawsuit asks the court to require the NRA to pay up to $35 million to the US Treasury.
The NRA also faces a lawsuit from New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who accused top executives of funneling millions for personal expenses. James is seeking to revoke the group’s nonprofit status and dissolve it entirely.
DC Attorney General Karl Racine has also accused the NRA of illegally using donor money for “wasteful spending by the NRA and its executives.”
NRA pushes back:
The NRA said the lawsuit was "as misguided as it is transparent.”
"Another premeditated abuse of the public by our adversaries — who will stop at nothing in their pursuit of their anti-freedom agenda," the statement said.
The group vowed to fight the allegations.
"Suffice to say, the NRA has full confidence in its political activities and remains eager to set the record straight,” the group said.
