Documents Show NRA and Republican Candidates Coordinated Ads in Key Senate Races

[G_j]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/nra-republicans-campaign-ads-senate-josh-hawley/

"You do this if you think no one is going to investigate," says a former federal regulator.

The National Rifle Association appears to have illegally coordinated its political advertising with Republican candidates in at least three recent high-profile US Senate races, according to Federal Communications Commission records. In Senate races in Missouri and Montana in 2018 and North Carolina in 2016, the gun group’s advertising blitzes on behalf of GOP candidates Josh Hawley, Matt Rosendale, and Richard Burr were authorized by the very same media consultant that the candidates themselves used—an apparent violation of laws designed to prevent independent groups from synchronizing their efforts with political campaigns.

The National Rifle Association appears to have illegally coordinated its political advertising with Republican candidates in at least three recent high-profile US Senate races, according to Federal Communications Commission records. In Senate races in Missouri and Montana in 2018 and North Carolina in 2016, the gun group’s advertising blitzes on behalf of GOP candidates Josh Hawley, Matt Rosendale, and Richard Burr were authorized by the very same media consultant that the candidates themselves used—an apparent violation of laws designed to prevent independent groups from synchronizing their efforts with political campaigns.

Representatives of National Media, operating under the name Red Eagle Media, also bought ads on behalf of the NRA in support of some of the group’s preferred Senate candidates, and simultaneously bought ads for those Senate candidates while acting as a supposedly separate entity called American Media & Advocacy Group (AMAG). In at least 10 instances across the Missouri, Montana, and North Carolina races, FCC records show that ad purchases for both the NRA and the Senate campaigns were authorized by National Media chief financial officer Jon Ferrell.

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[mucifer]

1. I bet it's legal. I would expect them to do it.

[shanny]

3. I bet it isn't.

And I bet nothing much will come of it. Fines after the fact are ineffective and change nothing.

Hmmm. Maybe we need laws that say if you cheat to win elections we get a do-over.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. NRA -- russian laundromat and illegal election tampering

[Squinch]

4. ALL of this goes right back to Citizens United and the assholes saying, "Oh, people won't use their

money to ratfuck elections! How could you think that??"

[UpInArms]

5. Am so sick and tired of reading

About the ratfuckery in our elections .... we need a way to actually nullify any illegal (see what I did there?) politician’s continued misuse of office ...

Cheat to get in? Take NRA/Russian money?

Out you go ... with a ban on ever being able to hold elected office for life.

[mickswalkabout41]

6. This whole argument reeks of

Elitist who believe they are above the law. I think we need to stop slapping wrists and start prosecuting and sentencing everyone involved or complicit to the fullest extent of the law. At this point, many of the minions have begun plea deals to give up the bigger fish. But the water in the swamp is polluted and the stink is starting to rise. They will float to the top for easy pickings. This could very well be the end of the Republican Party.

[uponit7771]

9. +1, if this was planned parenthood the KGOP would've shut its doors already

[Takket]

7. Seems I read something like this every day on DU

And my reaction is always the same:

That’s nice. When are arrests going to be made? Because if no one wants to arrest and prosecute, for all intents and purposes, it isn’t illegal.

[G_j]

8. indeed

It’s absolutely maddening.