Biggest fundraising month in 15 years for the NRA
According to Federal Election Commission filings, the NRA’s Political Victory Fund raised $2.4 million in March, the largest haul for the gun-rights group since June 2003. Many of the donations were under $250, and came from retirees.
Before March’s record haul, donations to the NRA had tripled in February, in the aftermath of the Parkland high-school shooting. The NRA received almost $800,000 in donations in February, compared to almost $250,000 in January.
The Parkland shooting prompted survivors to organize the ‘March for Our Lives’ movement, which saw 500,000 protesters descend on Washington DC calling for stricter gun-control laws.
The movement was joined by several prominent businesses and financial institutions. Bank of America announced this month that it would stop lending to companies that manufacture ‘assault-style’ weapons. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart – two of the nation’s leading gun sellers – said they would raise the minimum age of purchase to 21 and stop selling ‘assault-style’ weapons.
The pushback against the Second Amendment has not been welcomed by all. Membership in gun-rights groups also spiked after the Parkland tragedy, and two weeks ago the NRA announced that it aims to sign up 100,000 new members in the next three months.
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