NRA being investigated

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Well, in this era of 140-character news blurbs on social media I suspect just the headline isn’t good for us. Like a lot of things there probably is little or anything to it, but most folks will never read any in-depth reporting or the final resolution just the initial accusation.
 
In the link is a Ron Elving video. It's not a bad synopsis.

The written article is less good, and is at least partly the product of Peter Overby. I've listened to NPR for four decades, and acknowledge Overby's efficacy as a propagandist. NPR presents Overby as something like a journalist, but he really isn't that.
 
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RC20 said:
I never knew it received any money from foreign entities .
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Keep in mind that several prominent gunmakers are foreign-owned, although they may have substantial U.S. operations. Glock, HK, and FNH spring to mind.

At issue is who else the NRA may have taken money from.

This is not the first time that the organization's (overly intense IMHO) focus on fundraising has wound up biting it on the posterior. ;):rolleyes:
 
Erno86 said:
The NRA has been playing the con game for years --- No doubt...they've become quite good at it.
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What con game might that be?

As for the news, there are numerous foreign or foreign-owned gun manufacturers as carguychris noted. If they buy a booth at the annual NRA meeting to promote their wares, the NRA arguably took money from a foreign entity.

If they sponsor an NRA competition, same deal.

The NRA charter is fairly particular that member dues cannot be spent on lobbying. I’d have to find the charter and look at it; but I imagine there are similar restrictions on these types of funds.
 
Let's stick to facts. It is an empirical question as to whether X or Y happened. We can discuss it factually. Just saying the NRA is good or bad without evidence, isn't worth our time.
 
The Congressional, FEC and FBI investigations are concerned with the NRA's relationship with and contributions from a Russian banker and close Putin ally, not foreign corporations or gun companies. And specifically whether any of that Russian money made up any part of the $30 million that the NRA donated to the Trump campaign.

Since foreign contributions to US elections are illegal, running it through a willing US organization like the NRA or it's PAC would be a fairly simple way to launder it.
 
Bartholomew Roberts said:
The NRA charter is fairly particular that member dues cannot be spent on lobbying. I’d have to find the charter and look at it; but I imagine there are similar restrictions on these types of funds.
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My understanding is that the NRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and that, as such, they can't spend any money on lobbying, regardless of the source. That's why they have the NRA-ILA -- that's the lobbying arm. Which is why, after the Parkland shooting, I sent a check to the NRA-ILA.
 
NRA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit, which is why contributions to NRA are not tax deductible. The NRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. (c)(4) non-profits are allowed to engage in lobbying with some restrictions.
 
The Congressional, FEC and FBI investigations are concerned with the NRA's relationship with and contributions from a Russian banker and close Putin ally, not foreign corporations or gun companies. And specifically whether any of that Russian money made up any part of the $30 million that the NRA donated to the Trump campaign.

Since foreign contributions to US elections are illegal, running it through a willing US organization like the NRA or it's PAC would be a fairly simple way to launder it.
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Exactly. Also at issue is that the NRA moves money between accounts, thereby making it difficult to know if money is being used in ways that go against campaign finance laws. The organization could be in some trouble over this.
 
Bartholomew Roberts said:
NRA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit, which is why contributions to NRA are not tax deductible. The NRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. (c)(4) non-profits are allowed to engage in lobbying with some restrictions.
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Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't aware of the distinction.
 
The organization could be in some trouble over this.
The NRA was audited by the IRS continuously for all eight years of the Clinton Administration. So, I’m doubtful the NRA suddenly decided to break campaign finance laws during an Obama Administration, with a Clinton Administration looking like a high future probability. The NRA is many things; but they are consistently plodding, slow, and overcautious.

Not to mention the NRA still has a few prominent Democrats on the board or actively engaged behind the scenes.
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I was hoping to hear more about this on NPR this week, but nothing new has been aired. I've been getting home late from work, so I haven't had the time to research the issue any more.

BartR, maybe I'm just tired right now, but I'm not sure what IRS audits back in the Clinton years and Dems being on the board have to do with what's being investigated now. Can you clarify for me?
 
I enjoy listening to NPR when driving, but let's define "enjoy" more clearly.

I enjoy some of their stories, "BBC News" or whatever.

Their domestic stories I enjoy keeping me awake due to their obvious bias.
 
NPR is great. Morning Edition and All Things Considered are very informative. They always present at least two sides to the news stories. What some of the other programs do is present one side one day and present the other the next, so you have to be a regular listener to get both sides. I've been waiting to hear a more in-depth report on this investigation of the NRA but there hasn't been anything more on it. I guess I will have to do a search on their website when I get home from work later on today. Maybe they have done more reporting on it and I just missed it for some reason. I'm no fan of the NRA, but I know that them getting caught with their pants down over the past election would do absolutely nothing to help with the PR problems we're dealing with right now.
 
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