The gun control group Giffords has been slapped with a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
The firearms industry trade group claims that Giffords, through its political action committee Giffords PAC, has failed to comply with the FEC’s rules on joint fundraising while soliciting funds for both the PAC and the candidates it’s supporting.
“Giffords PAC has been playing fast and loose with how they are soliciting funds to support themselves and their preferred gun control candidates for elected office,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “The FEC’s joint fundraising rules are clear but Giffords ignores them because they believe they are above accountability. Their fundraising misleads consumers by falsely claiming these joint fundraising solicitations are not authorized by any candidates or their campaign committees. Giffords PAC and these candidates are knowingly ignoring mandatory FEC disclosure requirements.”
Giffords PAC sent fundraising emails in partnership with preferred federal and gubernatorial candidates for office that ask potential donors to “split a donation between my campaign and Giffords PAC…” yet it has failed to properly follow the required FEC joint fundraising procedures. FEC regulations require the appointment of a joint fundraising representative or formation of a joint fundraising committee with the associated campaigns, yet Giffords PAC’s most recent FEC Statement of Organization does not reflect its involvement in any joint fundraising efforts.
Further, these emails soliciting donations stated they were “Paid For By Giffords PAC” and “not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.” However, the joint fundraising emails are obviously authorized by candidates. In fact, the emails are signed by candidates and jointly solicit contributions for the campaigns. Those email solicitations sent donors to an ActBlue website that asked donors to support candidates and Giffords antigun agenda. FEC regulations require that mass mailings of 500 or more substantially similar communications include appropriate disclosures, however Giffords PAC has not included appropriate joint fundraising disclosures in either their emails or ActBlue contribution pages, and falsely claim that these communications are not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Giffords PAC has sent these solicitations that enriched their own antigun agenda in coordination with U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) and Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.).
We can expect Giffords’ fundraising operations to ramp up as the midterm campaigns start to take shape, so this is a timely complaint by NSSF. It’s also the latest allegation about the gun control group playing fast and loose with rules and regulations. As we reported last week, a Giffords staffer may have violated Vermont’s laws regarding the registration of paid lobbyists.
Billy Clark serves as the group’s Senior Litigation Attorney and “Second Amendment Issues Manager.” When he recently testified before a legislative committee in Vermont, Clark acknowledged that he had “been in touch with committee members” about a piece of legislation. Giffords’ website says Clark “consults with local governments and other organizations, providing guidance on how to actualize gun safety policies,” which sure sounds like lobbying activity to me, but Clark is not listed as a registered lobbyist on the Vermont Secretary of State’s website.
So, while Giffords is trying to impose all kinds of rules, regulations, and laws on gun owners, there are allegations the group is treating some of the rules surrounding campaign fundraising and lobbying activities as optional. I’m interested to see what the FEC’s response to NSSF’s complaint will be, and if any action will be taken ahead of Election Day this November.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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