WASHINGTON, DC—Today, 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 Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
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Giffords filed a series of complaints 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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The lawsuit seeks several forms of relief, including an order preventing the NRA from violating the law in future elections, and a penalty equal to the amount of money unlawfully spent, which the NRA would pay to the US treasury—potentially as much as $35 million. [….]
The races at the heart of the lawsuit include the following….
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2018: Josh Hawley in the race for Senate in Missouri (vs. Claire McCaskill)…
NRA @NRA
“This time she claims the NRA is afraid of a mom. There’s just one problem with Watts’ assertion. She’s not just a mom. She’s not just a community activist. She’s Michael Bloomberg’s personal lobbyist whose main goal is to disarm other women and moms.” –
@eb454 7:56 AM · May 9, 2019
“There should be a background check before the NRA is allowed to buy a senator.”
Today:
Juan Rivera, P.E. @Boricua_En_Maui
The NRA is in so much financial trouble they might have to start laying off Republican senators and governors. 11:23 AM · Aug 6, 2020
Senate Republicans are pursuing a federal health budget that omits funding for gun violence research, a proposal that Sen. Roy Blunt warns is too “controversial.”
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Do you wonder why?
Which lawmakers got the most NRA money?
By Soo Rin Kim Feb 20, 2018, 8:51 PM ET
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Sen. Roy Blunt: $4.5 million
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has long been one of the biggest beneficiaries of NRA money. Not only has the group donated $56,500 to Blunt’s campaign committee over the years, the group has also spent $1.4 million bankrolling ads supporting him. The NRA also spent $2.5 million in 2016 opposing Democrat Jason Kander’s bid against the Missouri Republican.
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I’m truly heartbroken over the heinous shooting in Texas today. Events like these are a reminder that cold, cruel reality can show up at anytime. It reminds us to hold our loved ones close and to always pray for our neighbors and our community.
Now more than ever, it’s time for America to have an honest discussion on the causes of these horrific events.
As these events too frequently dominate the headlines, I urge my colleagues to address the core problems that lead to these senseless acts of violence – addressing the pervasive mental health issues in our country, having an open dialogue about motivators of hatred and violence against other fellow Americans, and stopping criminals from illegally obtaining guns. Above all, we need to re-embrace values of life, respect, and the intrinsic worth of every human being.
Like clockwork.
Some of the responses:
Thought , prayers, mental illness.
How about we have background checks on private sales ? I also think we need a Red Flag law in every state 72 hour hold on your weapons if you are talking self harm or hurting others.
I have known a lot of people with mental health issues. I’m not afraid of them. I’m afraid of people who own guns and feel empowered to use them. Don’t hide, Rep. Hartzler, behind a party line. Be an independent thinker and work to protect Americans from gun violence.
You did nothing to address this issue the whole time you were on your break. You are always heartbroken but never willing to take any action. You talk about mental health but represent a state that is one of the worst for people getting access to healthcare. When will you be willing to do something besides post about it?
I think we need to do more than pray.
Y’all cut funding at CDC for mental health, so once again your concern about how mental health is playing a roll in all the mass shootings is nothing more than a party talking point! I want a BAN ON ALL ASSAULT WEAPONS! I WANT UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS! Pretty simple steps that YOU refuse to initiate or endorse!
Crocodile tears.
Respect for life is all but gone from pur society. Kids watch violence and play violet games from the time they are toddlers. Then we expect them to grow up compassionate humans. We need to address what gets put into the minds of people, the lack of parenting, drugs, bullying, and so much more. Mental illness is a part of the equation and getting the fear out of being open is a huge obstacle.
Uh, people in other countries consume video games at a higher rate than Americans, and yet their gun violence rates are significantly lower. You think it’s the water, maybe?
That last statement is truly laughable given your record.
How would you know the underlying factors? The CDC can’t effectively study the problem because of people like you. Those with mental health challenges have been shown through research to NOT be any more likely to conduct mass murder. The NRA owns you.
You have an opportunity to enact common sense solutions to this challenge based on evidence.
You choose to do nothing.
Blah, blah, blah…. Your party FAILED to do ANYTHING after 20 BABIES were slaughtered in Connecticut. Not just shot, their bodies were blown to bits.. Live with that… THEY voted DOWN legislation that the people of this country wanted passed..
So, are you now for background checks? I can’t tell by the way you characterized the problem.
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From the evidence available, it’s perceived racial superiority that motivates most of the mass shooters.
Vickie. These shooters do not have mental health diagnoses
Children are in cages – “re-embrace values…worth of every human being.” Umm
How about you start with an honest actual townhall, and then start to enact some GUN CONTROL? Oh wait, the NRA controls you.
How about telling McConnell to bring the house bills to the floor for a vote? Your party refusing to do anything is a BIG part of the problem.
Let the CDC and others actually study the situation and PROVE the connection to mental health … oh – right – they have – there isn’t one.
Hint: IT’S GUNS, VICKY
You’re a joke. You have no spine. How about a #townhall to talk about gun violence and real solutions, like background checks on every sale?
You don’t appear to care about life or you would stop cutting food stamps, encourage MO leaders to expand Medicaid, and impeach Trump before he starts WW3.
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/05/2019 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS GENERAL VA 07/26/2018 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 12/29/2017 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS GENERAL VA 10/07/2016 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 05/04/2015 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 04/26/2014 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 10/17/2013 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/27/2012 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/27/2011 $1,000.00
“…Raise your hand if you’ve lost a loved one to violence. Just raise your hand. Keep your hand up. Raise your hand if you know someone who’s lost a loved one. Keep your hand up. Look around. Just look around…” [almost everyone in the room of around 250 people had a raised hand]
Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.
Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime.
Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime:
…I think it’s important for us to stop and recognize the fact that you don’t know what people are going through. And when you talk about the issue of violence people are walking around the city, next to you, they’re your neighbors, they’re the folks that wait on you at the cash register, these are the folks that teach in your classroom, these are the students in your classrooms, these are folks at your pharmacy, these are the folks that pull up at the light next to you that are hurting. And as some people say ‘hurt people sometimes hurt people.’ But healed people heal people as well…
…The vision that I have is a vision where people, especially young people can grow up with an understanding of the value of forgiveness. And that they know and understand how to resolve conflict without violence. I have a vision that one day Congress will pass common sense gun legislation that puts people before profits…
“…I see so many mothers crying on crime scenes, ‘they killed my baby’. But we have to tell the truth, your baby didn’t know how to resolve conflicts. Your baby can’t jut hit somebody and expect their response to be, ‘okay, that’s okay’. We have to teach our young people conflict resolution…”
Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.
Rashid Junaid, Aim 4Peace.
Rashid Junaid, Aim 4Peace:
…You can’t run from it. You gotta deal with this. Today. [applause] So they first shot at experiences of the trauma that we see happening in our community, we gotta deal with it. We gotta make sure we get the proper help to these families…
…So I’m saying conflict resolution. I’m saying trauma informed care. And I’m saying the third thing, it ain’t free…
“…After Sandy Hook we were all quite sure that something would be done. Now is the time. Something would be done. And nothing was done…”
Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.
Judy Sherry, Grandparents Against Gun Violence.
Judy Sherry, Grandparents Against Gun Violence:
…We’re already hearing the usual responses from those unwilling to face the facts about gun violence. Of course, mental health and video games ae to blame for these horrendous events. And background checks simply don’t work. But data tells us something different. What we know is just four percent of gun crimes are committed by people with known diagnosed mental illness. Now we would certainly say that anybody who commits one of these crimes is, at that moment, mentally unfit. But these, this is not an invasion, not an issue of people all over the country afflicted with mental health issues that are causing the gun violence. We know video games, they’re played the world over. Yet we know that Americans are twenty-two times more likely to be killed with a gun than people in any other developed nation. That’s a crime. I’m beginning to wonder if we get to say ‘developed nation’ too much longer. That is a crime. And background checks? No, they don’t always work. But speed limits don’t always work either. I’m here to tell you that. But we don’t say, ‘let’s not have speed limits anymore’ because some people break the law. You just do it…
“…What they’re trying to do is tell you, stop worrying about guns. What they’re trying to do is tell you, nah, nah, you’re not empowered to make a difference…”
Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Mayor Lucas:
…What you are seeing on the streets, and I know there are a lot of victims, there are a lot of people touched, but I know in the community I’m from you are seeing nothing less, nothing short of a mass genocide. Right? You are seeing nothing short of a devaluing of lives, particularly in black lives. And what we’re seeing in our community is consistently, year after year, is people that are trying to tell us that doesn’t matter. That it doesn’t need to change. What I’m saying right now is, no, it does. It does…
…You know what I want the next group of people to say [in the future]? To say, wow, it’s different now…
