Talk:National Rifle Association
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The National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded in 1871 to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," and is "widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights," according to the NRA website. [1] Affiliated organizations include the Institute for Legislative Action, the NRA's lobbying arm, and the NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, which provides "a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public." [1]
According to documents filed with the IRS, Wayne Lapierre, NRA CEO and vice president, made over $970,000 a year in 2012.[2]
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Charles Koch is the right-wing billionaire owner of Koch Industries. As one of the richest people in the world, he is a key funder of the right-wing infrastructure, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (SPN). In SourceWatch, key articles on Charles Koch and his late brother David include: Koch Brothers, Americans for Prosperity, Stand Together Chamber of Commerce, Stand Together, Koch Family Foundations, Koch Universities, and I360. |
Koch Funding
The lion's share of the NRA funding comes from the U.S. gun industry, but in recent years the organization has turned to moneyed right-wing individuals for financial backing. Through Americans for Prosperity - that's been called the "flagship organization" of the Koch brothers - the NRA received between $2 million and $3 million for its 2012 election campaigns (see below).[3][4] Other major contributors in recent years include Crossroads GPS, a dark-money group founded by Bush ideologue Karl Rove. The group contributed $600,000 to the Institute for Legislative Action, which is the lobbying arm of the NRA.
Activities in the November 2012 Elections
The NRA spent at least $24.28 million[5] this past election cycle - $16.83 million through its Political Action Committee, plus $7.45 million through its affiliated Institute for Legislative Action.
A minuscule 0.81 percent of the NRA's Political Victory Fund money went towards elections where the NRA's preferred candidate won.[6] The NRA Institute for Legislative Action fared better, with a 10.25 percent return on their investment.
The Sunlight Foundation reports that the NRA spends 66 times what the leading pro-gun control advocacy organization, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, spends on lobbying, and 4,143 times what the Brady Campaign spends on elections. They note this with the caveat that the NRA does a poor job accurately reporting its spending.[7]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "A Brief History of the NRA", National Rifle Association website, accessed July 9, 2011.
- ↑ NRA, "IRS W-990 form," tax documents, accessed June 27, 2014.
- ↑ Peter Stone, "http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/nra-koch-brothers-karl-rove Inside the NRA's Koch-Funded Dark-Money Campaign," Mother Jones, April 2, 2013.
- ↑ Andy Kroll, "Extreme Makeover: Koch Brothers Edition," Mother Jones, February 22, 2013.
- ↑ Lee Drutman, "Explaining the power of the National Rifle Association, in one graph" Sunlight Foundation, December 17, 2012
- ↑ Harriet Rowan, "Winners and Losers in the "Big Secret Bucks" Spending War" P.R. Watch, November 16, 2012
- ↑ Lindsay Young, "Buyers remorse? Check out the return on investment webinar" Sunlight Foundation, November 20, 2012
