#Russia finances nra

[socialjusticeinamerica]

#Republican Endorsed Killings

#Well Regulated Militia

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

Koch and Walton spend about $1 billion each out of pocket to finance EVERY Republikkkan running for state and federal office. Republikkkans have been collecting dark money since Reagan including money funneled from Russia through the NRA and directly from oligarchs. Saudi Arabia has been funneling huge undisclosed sums directly and indirectly as well to Republikkkans. Dozens of Koch/Walton foundations and multinational corporations as well.

Both parties are not the same. What the Dems get is a trickle in comparison.

[steamedtangerine]

So, Gaetz causes another timely disruption just as financing was about to go through to aid Ukraine.

-oh, but look, a year ago, it was discovered he got major funding (17,000-at least) from a Rockefeller heir with ties to Russian agent Maria Butina https://floridapolitics.com/archives/540444-matt-gaetz-campaign-gets-17k-from-rockefeller-heir-who-had-contact-with-russian-agent/

Maria Butina and her ties to Trump and the NRA https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/maria-butina/

[meandmybigmouth]

[dragoni]

Trump “Individual-1″ and the media, it’s not over by a long shot. Mueller has been following the money and it’s about to get real. Trump’s former deputy campaign manager and Inauguration Committee deputy chairman Rick Gates is helping Mueller.🔥

Spoiler: Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham got some of that Russian NRA money!

“The NRA spent more than $30 million to back Trump's candidacy"

"When I was interviewed by the special counsel's office, I was asked about the Trump campaign and our dealings with the NRA," Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign aide, told CNN.

Nunberg's interview with Mueller's team in February 2018 offers the first indication that the special counsel has been probing the Trump campaign's ties to the powerful gun-rights group.

On March 5, 2018, Sam Nunberg told Jake Tapper that Trump knew about the Trump Tower Russia meeting a week before. “He talked about it a week before“.

Cohen claimed that Trump knew and APPROVED the meeting.

As recently as about a month ago, Mueller's investigators were still raising questions about the relationship between the campaign and the gun group, CNN has learned.

Maria Butina, Alexander Torshin and NRA

Maria Butina, a Russian national, pleaded guilty in DC federal court in December to engaging in a conspiracy against the US. As part of her plea, she acknowledged that she attempted to infiltrate GOP political circles and influence US relations with Russia, in part by building ties with prominent members of the NRA.

She also admitted she was working at the direction of a prominent former Russian central banker, Alexander Torshin, who was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department last year for his role in the Russian government. Torshin is also a lifetime member of the NRA.

“Donald Trump Jr. is an avid outdoorsman who helped his father build closer ties to the NRA.”

Trump spoke at the NRA's annual meeting in Tennessee in 2015, along with a number of other GOP presidential hopefuls. By May 2016, the NRA was all in for Trump, officially endorsing his candidacy at the group's annual meeting in Kentucky.

"To get the endorsement, believe me, is a fantastic honor. I will not let you down.", Trump told the NRA crowd in 2016.

[dendroica]

Several prominent Russians, some in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle or high in the Russian Orthodox Church, now have been identified as having contact with National Rifle Association officials during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to photographs and an NRA source. The contacts have emerged amid a deepening Justice Department investigation into whether Russian banker and lifetime NRA member Alexander Torshin illegally channeled money through the gun rights group to add financial firepower to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. Other influential Russians who met with NRA representatives during the campaign include Dmitry Rogozin, who until last month served as a deputy prime minister overseeing Russia’s defense industry, and Sergei Rudov, head of one of Russia’s largest philanthropies, the St. Basil the Great Charitable Foundation. The foundation was launched by an ultra-nationalist ally of Russian President Putin. The Russians talked and dined with NRA representatives, mainly in Moscow, as U.S. presidential candidates vied for the White House. Now U.S. investigators want to know if relationships between the Russian leaders and the nation’s largest gun rights group went beyond vodka toasts and gun factory tours, evolving into another facet of the Kremlin’s broad election-interference operation. Even as the contacts took place, Kremlin cyber operatives were secretly hacking top Democrats’ emails and barraging Americans’ social media accounts with fake news stories aimed at damaging the image of Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton and boosting the prospects of Republican Donald Trump. It is a crime, potentially punishable with prison time, to donate or use foreign money in U.S. election campaigns.

Web of elite Russians met with NRA execs during 2016 campaign | McClatchy Washington Bureau

[quakerjoe]

The National Rifle Association acted as a "foreign asset" for Russia in the period leading up to the 2016 election, according to a new investigation unveiled Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Drawing on contemporaneous emails and private interviews, an 18-month probe by the Senate Finance Committee's Democratic staff found that the NRA underwrote political access for Russian nationals Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin more than previously known — even though the two had declared their ties to the Kremlin.

[phroyd]

The National Rifle Association acted as a "foreign asset" for Russia in the period leading up to the 2016 election, according to a new investigation unveiled Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Drawing on contemporaneous emails and private interviews, an 18-month probe by the Senate Finance Committee's Democratic staff found that the NRA underwrote political access for Russian nationals Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin more than previously known — even though the two had declared their ties to the Kremlin.

The report, available here, also describes how closely the gun rights group was involved with organizing a 2015 visit by some of its leaders to Moscow.

Then-NRA vice president Pete Brownell, who would later become NRA president, was enticed to visit Russia with the promise of personal business opportunities — and the NRA covered a portion of the trip's costs.

The conclusions of the Senate investigation could have legal implications for the NRA, Wyden says.

Tax-exempt organizations are barred from using funds for the personal benefit of its officials or for actions significantly outside their stated missions. The revelations in the Senate report raise questions about whether the NRA could face civil penalties or lose its tax-exempt status.

The National Rifle Association called the report "politically motivated," and suggested that the 2015 Moscow trip was not an official NRA trip.

"An avalanche of proof confirms that the NRA, as an organization, was never involved in the activities about which the Democrats write," said William A. Brewer III, counsel to the NRA.

Continued Brewer: "This report goes to great lengths to try to involve the NRA in activities of private individuals and create the false impression that the NRA did not act appropriately. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Attorneys general in the state of New York and the District of Columbia are conducting separate probes into alleged wrongdoing at the gun rights organization. These probes have a broader scope than the Senate report, which focuses on Russia.

Majority response: This is overblown

The Republican majority on the Senate Finance Committee, which was consulted periodically throughout the Democrats' investigation, said Friday the report was overblown.

In the Republicans' analysis of Wyden's report, the majority argued that it does not account for U.S.-Russia relations at the time and contains "much conclusory innuendo... and repeatedly attempts to paint a picture that does not exist."

The Republicans also argued that if the NRA committed any infractions, they would be small and do not put the NRA's tax-exempt status at risk.

"To the extent NRA funds were used improperly in any facts discussed in the [Democratic report led by Wyden], it appears to have been minor, hardly a rounding error for an organization with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year and nothing that cannot be corrected with minor intermediate sanctions," the Republican analysis states.

Kremlin links were clear

Wyden's 77-page report centers on Butina — a convicted Russian agent now in federal prison — and Torshin, a former Russian government official who has been sanctioned by the United States.

The report indicates that top NRA officials were aware of Butina's and Torshin's links with the Kremlin even as they sought to work more closely together under the banner of gun rights.

In an email later circulated to two senior NRA staff members, Butina wrote that a purpose of the 2015 Moscow trip was that "many powerful figures in the Kremlin are counting on Torshin to prove his American connections" by showing he could bring prominent NRA officials to Russia.

At another point, Butina suggested to participants on the 2015 NRA trip to Russia that she might be able to set up a meeting between them and President Vladimir Putin, referring to him as "Russia's highest leader."

NRA facilitated political access

Despite these declarations about their ties to the Russian government, NRA officials paid for and facilitated Torshin and Butina's introduction into American political organizations.

Butina and Torshin received access to Republican Party officials at NRA events.

It was a explicit interest expressed by Butina: In one 2015 email to an NRA employee, Butina wrote, "is there a list of U.S. governors or members of Congress that might be present at some time during the [NRA] annual meeting?"

The employee responded with a list.

The NRA also helped them forge connections with groups such as the Council for National Policy, the National Prayer Breakfast, the National Sporting Goods Wholesalers Association and Safari Club International.

"NRA resources appear to have been used to pay for membership and registration fees to third party events for [Torshin and Butina] as well as to arrange for transit to and lodging for many of those events throughout 2015 and 2016," the report states.

Report contradicts NRA denials

The Senate report notes that in 2018, then-NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch repeatedly denied that the group leaders' 2015 trip to Moscow was sanctioned by the gun rights group.

But in a letter obtained by the committee, then-NRA President Allan Cors wrote to Torshin on NRA letterhead after consulting with NRA staff and former NRA President David Keene.

Cors designated two NRA figures to lead the trip: "Dave Keene and [top NRA donor] Joe Gregory will represent the NRA and our five million members better than anyone else," he wrote.

During the course of the investigation, Brownell's lawyer also told the committee that Brownell believed the trip was an official NRA event.

This view is further strengthened by the committee's evidence that NRA staff prepared itineraries, gathered briefing materials, applied for tourist visas, paid for some of the travel expenses, and provided the delegation with NRA gifts to give to Russian officials.

The gun rights group said on Friday afternoon that it was not an official NRA trip.

"Certain NRA members made the trip of their own accord. The record reflects it was not an official NRA trip," said Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA's managing director of public affairs. "NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre was opposed to it and, at his directive, no NRA staff members or employees attended."

The Senate investigation found evidence that the NRA tried to hide various payments related to the trip.

Brownell covered approximately $21,000 in expenses related to the trip; in June 2016, the NRA reimbursed Brownell just over $21,000.

After questions were raised about the trip in 2018, Brownell paid the NRA $17,000 — a transaction that Brownell's lawyer told the committee was requested by the NRA as a way of "getting the trip off the NRA's books."

NRA leaders sought business opportunities

The Senate investigation concludes that a number of NRA figures on the 2015 trip traveled to Russia "primarily or solely for the purpose of advancing personal business interests, rather than advancing the NRA's tax-exempt purpose."

Brownell, then a vice president of the NRA, is the CEO of a major firearms supplier bearing his last name.

In an email to a staffer at his business, Brownell described his trip as "an opportunity to be hosted in Russia to broaden our business opportunities ... to introduce our company to the governing individuals throughout Russia."

"The NRA directly facilitated Brownell's effort to travel to Moscow early to explore business opportunities with Russian weapons manufacturers," the report concludes.

Another member of the trip, NRA donor and then-Outdoor Channel CEO Jim Liberatore, told the Senate committee through his lawyer that his participation in the 2015 Moscow trip was "purely commercial."

Wyden seeks IRS probe

Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said at the conclusion of his investigation that his staff had revealed information that shows that the National Rifle Association may have abused its tax-exempt status.

The next step, he says, is for the IRS to launch its own inquiry.

"The totality of evidence uncovered during my investigation, as well as the mounting evidence of rampant self-dealing, indicate the NRA may have violated tax laws," Wyden said. "The IRS needs to examine these findings and investigate other publicly reported incidents of potential lawbreaking."

Phroyd

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

@dykeofwellington

#he’s no better than any other politician

#and is indeed actively worse than quite a few

#politics

#us politics I am curious as to why you think he’s actively worse than someone like Steyer, or Tulsi Gabbard, or simply in general. Why do you feel he’s actively worse than the rest? I would also love to know who you think is the best choice out of the lot? and you’re reasoning behind that?

--

Hey for some reason I can’t reblog the post where you asked the above about Bernie. I’m going to give a very brief rundown of thoughts. 

First, let’s clear up some rather broad, assumptions made: 

am curious as to why you think he’s actively worse than someone like Steyer, or Tulsi Gabbard, or simply in general. / Why do you feel he’s actively worse than the rest?

I never said any politician’s name. Just a general indication that he’s worse than a few. I think it’s interesting you assumed I meant those two and not that he’s worse than, let’s say, Julian Castro. 

I clearly said “no better than any other politician” which puts him on equal footing with Warren etc. so this assumption: Why do you feel he’s actively worse than the rest? is unwarranted. 

What I was saying was basically - no better than e.g. Warren and worse than quite a few e.g. Castro, Clinton (I know, come fight me leftists who drank the almost 30 years of GOP koolaid on her) etc. 

--

A quick rundown of issues I have with Bernie include, but are not limited to: 

Inability to deal with sexual harassment in his campaign in a meaningful way (he apologized and such, but there’s not to my eyes been a significant change)

General sexism in his campaign as well as sexism displayed by followers. He’s just got a sexism issue overall.

Lack of meaningful, recent civil rights record 

Unwilling to coalition build with colleagues in government (a profoundly necessary skill if you want to get anything done as president). Basically, he’s not a team player. We need team players. Team players is how DC works. (e.g. “Ms. Clinton, pointing out that Mr. Obama had to fight tooth-and-nail even for relatively centrist solutions such as the Affordable Care Act, draws the lesson that the next president must have a strong sense of practicality and realism; big rallies cannot wish away the complex politics of Congress. Mr. Sanders, by contrast, claims that Mr. Obama had insufficient revolutionary zeal.” Sanders’ view is not helpful nor realistic.) 

Lack of passing meaningful policy/legislation in his 25 years as senator which indicates an overall inability to solve issues within the existing system as well as a manifestation of the above mentioned inability to coalition build. While many senators propose many bills and pass few (that’s kind of par for the course) Sanders’ are particularly lack lustre. Of the seven enacted of which he was primary sponsor, three were designations (S. 885, H.J.Res. 231, S. 893) and one was a national park boundary movement (H.R. 1353). 

Bernie Sanders was the primary sponsor of seven bills that were enacted:

S. 885 (113th): A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, as the “Thaddeus Stevens Post Office”.

S. 2782 (113th): A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to improve the Federal charter for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and for other purposes

S. 893 (113th): Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013H.R. 5245 (109th): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1 Marble Street in Fair Haven, Vermont, as the “Matthew Lyon Post Office Building”.

H.J.Res. 129 (104th): Granting the consent of Congress to the Vermont-New Hampshire Interstate Public Water Supply Compact.

H.R. 1353 (102nd): Entitled the “Taconic Mountains Protection Act of 1991”.

H.J.Res. 132 (102nd): To designate March 4, 1991, as “Vermont Bicentennial Day”.

Medicare for All: it’s an incredibly complicated thing to implement and I’m personally not convinced Sanders’ plan is the right approach, nor that it would pass congress when introduced. 

Weak stance on gun control and relationship with the NRA

Tendency to shout over and shut people down, especially those asking questions he doesn’t want to answer 

His lack of attempting to control his supporters - their misogyny and racism - are indicative of the kind of person running the campaign. These things rot from top down. 

How powerfully his ego influences his actions, especially in 2016 when it took Obama hauling him into the white house before he finally stepped down and stopped running 

That whole Russia murkiness

His continued view that the primaries are rigged when they aren’t, he just lost, is actively harmful 

He has, or has benefited from, super PACs (he has some direct PAC contributions, but it’s not a large amount. Most of his benefits from PACs come in other forms than direct contributions). 

So, this is not something I particularly care about overall, because running for president is expensive (which is a Problem), and it’s a current reality to campaign financing. But he made such a big deal out of it I take vindictive pleasure in him having them/benefitting from them because I can now corner Luke Savage at a mutual friend’s annual Christmas party and tell him to shove it up his arse. 

Support of Gabbard who is a bit of a Russian plant (not to mention a terrible candidate overall) 

He is old, he is white, he is straight, he is cis, he is male - we have the most diverse range of potential nominees and if we think he’s the Answer or Saviour there’s a lot of unpacking of internalized stuff that needs to happen. 

A personal thing, but I really, really dislike his shoutiness. He reminds me of every socialist bro who has shouted down women and other marginalized people at parties I’ve been to (I know quite a few Jacobin/Socialist hacks e.g. aforementioned Luke Savage who uses the Sanders Certified approach If You Shout Enough They Can’t Get A Word In Therefore You Win to conversations and debates) and it leaves my skin crawling. 

No policy to address the needs and interests of First Nations/Native Americans including living standards, water access, education, treaty rights, any sort of reconciliation and addressing the issue of colonialism and genocide etc. (I think Castro is the only one with anything addressing Native American needs)

Breach of Clinton’s campaign voter data. Super. Shady. 

Ultimately, I’m not an idealist because idealism doesn’t make for good policy. While I dislike the term leftist because it invokes, to my mind, the blind, unthinking frothing wrath of Bernie Bros(tm), I do have leftist goals. 

However, I am practical about the approach, which will almost always be incremental. It’s like building a house: you lay foundations before you start on the walls, roof and insulation. Bernie wants an instant house to appear out of no where. That’s not how life nor government, works.

This isn’t to say we shouldn’t push to improve things and make for a better world, a more just society. But the reality is: we have a system we must work within and so we need people who can do that effectively. That said, we can and should try to improve the system on the way, as well. But burning it down and starting from scratch is a pipe dream. Best lay it to the side and fight for things that can actually improve lives today. In the here and now. 

in the end, I don’t like Bernie Sanders because he is an old, shouty white man driven by ego who is crude, mean, and isn’t a real democrat. I think we can do better. 

My current list of choices for the Democratic nominee (which is open to change. It will depend on how debates play out and further policy details put forward by candidates): 

Julian Castro (I like his platform the most; he has experience in DC from the Obama administration; knows how to be a team player; he’s young, intelligent and well spoken; has that “presidential” look that many voters like to see, which you know. Makes sense. Mostly I like his platform and everything I’ve heard and read about him has been positive. He also runs a (mostly) positive campaign! Unlike Some Old White Shouty Men. I can go on.)

Kamala Harris (She has a good platform with sound policy plans; she has grit and stamina needed to run against Trump; She runs a positive campaign - even using her funding to support other democrats currently primarying republicans/are just up for general re-election; she’s a senator so has experience and allies in DC with whom she can coalition build; she’s a team player; she will give us a good shot in Florida and N. Carolina; she has strong support from Black Americans who are the base of the democratic party; as DA she fought against prop 22 and prop 8 [yes, she’s not perfect as DA or AG but point to someone with a perfect track record. I’ll wait. I’m not here for perfection or purity politics, I’m here for someone who can win and will implement descent policy while in power], she pioneered one of the first open data initiative to expose racism in the legal system, lol she’s not a millionaire unlike Some Old White Shouty Man - which is neither here nor there for me personally, because again I’m realistic, just a refreshing thing. I can go on.) 

Elizabeth Warren (I’m rather luke-warm on her but she’s better than the other options.)

My ideal ticket, currently, is: Harris/Castro. 

Again - this is open to change. And, at the end of the day, I will vote for the democratic nominee in 2020 no matter what because we can’t have another four years of Trump. 

[marchagainsttrump]

The Republican Party, which gladly accepts campaign money from the NRA, is voting to prevent an investigation into whether Russia funneled money through the NRA to Republicans. // Yes, the same NRA that was infiltrated by convicted Russian agent Maria Butina. - [ https://www.newsweek.com/nra-fec-butina-torshin-campaign-finance-trump-1454836 ]

[political-fluffle]

https://twitter.com/EllenLWeintraub/status/1162429772590387203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1162429772590387203&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2Flive%2F2019%2Faug%2F16%2Ftrump-news-today-live-talib-israel-2020-democrats-latest-updates

BREAKING: @FEC's Republicans block all investigation of & enforcement against Russians Torshin & Butina re the NRA & the 2016 presidential election. Result: FEC does nothing to find out the truth behind one of the most blockbuster campaign finance allegations in recent memory.

The Commission’s full enforcement file in the #NRA #Russia matter (MUR 7314) is here: https://www.fec.gov/data/legal/matter-under-review/7314/ … My statement is available on the FEC’s website in PDF form here: https://www.fec.gov/files/legal/murs/7314/7314_1.pdf …

The GOP is fully owned by the Kremlin. Is further proof even needed?

[eyadrianna]

Meet Your Senator: David Perdue

The 2020 Presidential Election will be one of the most important elections for our future.  Actually, every presidential election is important, but this upcoming election is all kinds of extra important. Therefore, I thought it might be nice to provide y’all democrats, liberals, progressives, and/or anti-Trump voters with a series of quick rundowns about each incumbent senator up for reelection in 2020, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

This rundown will include a brief synopsis of the senator’s entire constituency, their most famous/infamous moments, their political positions, how much their votes align with Trump’s positions, who donates the most money to their campaigns, and the opinions of prominent left-leaning interest groups about the senator.  

Since I am a native Georgian, David Perdue will be the first of these thirty-something senators that I will profile. 

Constituency

Senator David Perdue is the junior senator for the marvelous state of Georgia.  With an estimated population of 10.63 million (we full!), Georgia is the 8th most populated state in the country and is worth 16 electoral votes.  The median age in the state is 36.2, and boasts a female population of 51.29%.  The percentage of Georgians who align with a religion/faith is 82%. Approximately 59.42% of the population is White, 31.32% is Black, 3.81% is Asian, and 8.94% are ethnically Hispanic. Nearly 30% of Georgia’s population has at minimum a Bachelor’s degree, and 58.22% has at minimum some form of post K-12 education.  Average annual earnings are $35,868, and the poverty rate is 16.91%.

Famous/Infamous Moments

Senator David Perdue has been relatively scandal-free for most of his senate career.  Arguably, the most infamous moment for Mr. Perdue occurred during last year’s 2018 US Elections where he allegedly snatched a phone away from a Georgia Tech student who was recording him.  (Source: WXIA 11-Alive)

Political Positions

Mr. Perdue’s political positions mirror that of what you would expect from your average Trump-era Republican.  According to senate.ontheissues.org, he opposes same-sex marriage, abortion, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and an increase in gun restrictions.  Mr. Perdue favors military expansion, the FairTax, school vouchers, and EPA deregulation.  In regards to the prohibition of marijuana, Mr. Perdue is “receptive to medical marijuana”, but wants any decision on the issue made by individual states.

Mr. Perdue discusses more about his positions in this video.

Trump Voting Record

Like many, I strongly consider voting records when selecting which candidate gets my support.  I’m a firm believer of it’s not what you say, it’s what you do.  As such, when considering how a senator votes with Trump, I tend to put them into one of five categories:

“Yaaas”: The senator votes with Trump less than 20% of the time.

“Side Eye”: The senator votes with Trump from 21% to 40% of the time.

“Bruh…”: The senator votes with Trump from 41% to 60% of the time.

“Out of Pocket”: The senator votes with Trump from 61% to 80% of the time.

“Issa No”: The senator votes with Trump more than 81% of the time.

When considering Mr. Perdue’s career record in votes aligning with Donald Trump, Mr. Perdue is firmly in the “Issa No” category with a voting percentage of 95.1. Out of all current senators, Mr. Perdue is the 7th most likely to side with Trump’s position on issues.  Naturally, by being an “Issa No” senator, he has taken some extremely conservative positions.  These positions include voting “Yea” on the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh, repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and on the Trump Tax Cuts. 

However, to be fair, there have been times when Mr. Perdue went against Trump.  During the 115th Congress (2017-2018), Mr. Perdue voted in favor of new sanctions for Russia, Iran, and North Korea.  The following year, Mr. Perdue voted yes on a bill that would provide more money for disaster relief, including more relief funding for Puerto Rico.

Donators

Since 2013, Mr. Perdue has fundraised over $20 million dollars for his campaigns.  A little over half of his fundraising came from individual contributors, $3.09 million came from political action committees, $3.9 million came from candidate self-financing, and $3.11 million came from other sources.

Mr. Perdue’s top five contributors are Club For Growth ($148,380), Home Depot ($141,850), Delta Airlines ($118,200), Cox Media Group ($81,850), and Southern Co. ($79,350). Other notable contributors of interest for Mr. Perdue include Koch Industries ($56,750), Wendy’s ($42,400), Bank of America ($47,500), and the NRA (~$1.9 million). 

According to OpenSecrets.org, Mr. Perdue’s 2020 re-election campaign committee fundraising currently stands at $2.8 million, with $4,950 of that money coming from the NRA.

Interest Group Opinions

Mr. Perdue has an F rating with the NAACP.  He has a B- rating with NORML, which “[indicates] a pro-drug-reform stance”.  His last rating from the NRA was an “AQ”, which is essentially an “A” rating the NRA gives to a candidate based on his or her answers to their questionnaire.  Mr. Perdue has a score of 0% from both the Human Rights Campaign and Planned Parenthood, and a lifetime score of 6% from the AFL-CIO.

Final Thoughts

Considering his top contributors, voting record, political positions, and his relationship with the NRA, Senator David Perdue is essentially a run-of-the-mill Trump Era Republican. Georgia is very gradually becoming a purple state, and Mr. Perdue’s voting record does not reflect our state’s shift in ideology. With the voter suppression and “good-ol’-boy” relationships that seem to dominate our politics, it will not be an easy task defeating Senator Perdue.  However, I remain optimistic of our chances at defeating him sheerly because of the enthusiasm from the people, and because of organizations like Fair Fight who strive to make voting both free and fair for all.

Sources:

http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/georgia-population/

https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/151330/david-perdue#.XZZKrkZKjIU

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/david-perdue/

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00035516&cycle=CAREER

https://www.businessinsider.com/nra-political-contributions-congressional-candidates-house-senate-2018-2

https://senate.ontheissues.org/Domestic/David_Perdue_Drugs.htm#16_NORML

http://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/115thCongressionalScorecard-Report.pdf?_ga=2.114799364.265431542.1570134971-1085637437.1570134971

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/congressional-scorecard#GA/

https://aflcio.org/scorecard/legislators

https://live-naacp-site.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/GEORGIA2-1.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/gun-legislation/

[dendroica]

A Freedom of Information Act request by NPR, which the Federal Reserve responded to the day before the Senate Finance Committee made public its intention to investigate, answers some of the questions being posed by the committee. The documents reveal that Paul Saunders, then the executive director of the Center for the National Interest, reached out to the Federal Reserve to set up meetings for Torshin. "I am writing to request an appointment for Mr. Alexander Torshin," Saunders wrote, in a March 2015 email. "Mr. Torshin is in the United States on a private visit. ... He would like to discuss U.S.-Russia relations and international economic issues and can also share his perspective on Russia's financial situation and its impact on Russian politics." The Center for the National Interest was established by former President Richard Nixon and is considered a conservative think tank with a reputation for following a foreign policy school of thought known as realism. Henry Kissinger is the honorary chairman of the board of directors, and many of the other directors are well-known conservative thinkers. NPR's FOIA request also yielded an internal memorandum that summarizes the meeting held between Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer, Torshin and Butina in April 2015. The memo reveals that back in spring 2015, both Torshin and Butina were already touting their relationships with the National Rifle Association — and that the meetings with senior officials were an offshoot of their primary trip purpose: to attend the yearly NRA conference. "Butina ... served as translator during the meeting. She is Founding Chairman and Board Member of a Russian organization which promotes the right to bear arms. They are both life members of the National Rifle Association," the internal memo reads. "They are in the United States to attend the NRA's annual meeting."

Senate Panel Launches Probe Of Think Tank Linked to Butina, Russian Agent : NPR

[johnnyrobish]

New Report Finds Russians Used Greed to Capture the NRA

New Report Finds Russians Used Greed to Capture the NRA:  A year-long Senate finance committee investigation found that ties between the National Rifle Association (NRA) and influential Russians were both substantial and lucrative enough, to render the politically powerful gun lobby an “asset” of Russia.

No kidding - an asset of Russia?  Hell, the guy who lives just down the street from me is a huge gun enthusiast.  I should probably drop by and ask him how many Rubles it takes these days to get an NRA membership.

Now, the NRA has recently taken a lot of slack for opposing legislation geared toward preventing people with severe mental health issues from owning guns, but I aways understood the NRA position on the matter.  After all, if the mentally ill couldn’t own guns, then who the hell they supposed to get to join the NRA?  

Of course, in all fairness, I’m sure it’s all purely coincidental that just about every single Republican or conservative organization you can think of - seems to have Russians coming out of the woodwork.  Talk about rotten luck!

On a positive note, at least Wayne LaPierre got himself some pretty decent perks out of the deal.  It must be comforting for NRA members, knowing they’re doing their part to ensure LaPierre continues enjoying that cushy lifestyle of his.  Besides, if things ever did go south, I’m sure LaPierre could always get Rudy Giuliani to represent him.

https://www.johnnyrobishcomedy.com

[chalkrevelations]

Lest this get buried in everything else that’s going on ...

The National Rifle Association acted as a "foreign asset" for Russia in the period leading up to the 2016 election, according to a new investigation unveiled Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Drawing on contemporaneous emails and private interviews, an 18-month probe by the Senate Finance Committee's Democratic staff found that the NRA underwrote political access for Russian nationals Maria Butina and Alexander Torshin more than previously known — even though the two had declared their ties to the Kremlin.

The report, available here, also describes how closely the gun rights group was involved with organizing a 2015 visit by some of its leaders to Moscow.

Then-NRA vice president Pete Brownell, who would later become NRA president, was enticed to visit Russia with the promise of personal business opportunities — and the NRA covered a portion of the trip's costs.

The conclusions of the Senate investigation could have legal implications for the NRA, Wyden says.

Tax-exempt organizations are barred from using funds for the personal benefit of its officials or for actions significantly outside their stated missions. The revelations in the Senate report raise questions about whether the NRA could face civil penalties or lose its tax-exempt status.

Attorneys general in the state of New York and the District of Columbia are conducting separate probes into alleged wrongdoing at the gun rights organization. These probes have a broader scope than the Senate report, which focuses on Russia.

... Wyden's 77-page report centers on Butina — a convicted Russian agent now in federal prison — and Torshin, a former Russian government official who has been sanctioned by the United States.

The report indicates that top NRA officials were aware of Butina's and Torshin's links with the Kremlin even as they sought to work more closely together under the banner of gun rights.

In an email later circulated to two senior NRA staff members, Butina wrote that a purpose of the 2015 Moscow trip was that "many powerful figures in the Kremlin are counting on Torshin to prove his American connections" by showing he could bring prominent NRA officials to Russia.

At another point, Butina suggested to participants on the 2015 NRA trip to Russia that she might be able to set up a meeting between them and President Vladimir Putin, referring to him as "Russia's highest leader."

Despite these declarations about their ties to the Russian government, NRA officials paid for and facilitated Torshin and Butina's introduction into American political organizations.

Butina and Torshin received access to Republican Party officials at NRA events.

It was a explicit interest expressed by Butina: In one 2015 email to an NRA employee, Butina wrote, "is there a list of U.S. governors or members of Congress that might be present at some time during the [NRA] annual meeting?"

The employee responded with a list.

... The Senate report notes that in 2018, then-NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch repeatedly denied that the group leaders' 2015 trip to Moscow was sanctioned by the gun rights group.

But in a letter obtained by the committee, then-NRA President Allan Cors wrote to Torshin on NRA letterhead after consulting with NRA staff and former NRA President David Keene.

Cors designated two NRA figures to lead the trip: "Dave Keene and [top NRA donor] Joe Gregory will represent the NRA and our five million members better than anyone else," he wrote.

... The Senate investigation also found evidence that the NRA tried to hide various payments related to the trip.

And it just keeps going.