There are a lot of PACs that get started and not everyone starting them knows what campaign finance rules actually look like. They're from potentially well-meaning folks or from people who want to be power players in DC, but don't know much else.
Giffords, founded by a former congresswoman and her husband who is now a US senator, should know, though.
I mean, if anyone would know, wouldn't they? I get that Gabby Giffords was shot in the head, but if she's got enough smarts left to be taken seriously on gun control, she should still at least remember what her group can and can't do, right?
And if she doesn't, wouldn't someone else at least check?
One would think so, anyway, which is why the National Shooting Sports Foundation's complaint against the group matters.
NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Giffords PAC, the political fundraising arm of the gun control group Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence. In the complaint, NSSF alleges Giffords PAC and its allies are skirting the FEC’s joint fundraising rules when they solicit funds for both Giffords PAC and their preferred candidates for elected office. Giffords PAC has been using these joint fundraising solicitations to enrich their own antigun agenda, while failing to comply with the FEC’s joint fundraising filing and disclaimer requirements. NSSF is urging the FEC to take action against Giffords PAC, and the candidates with whom they are jointly fundraising, for these violations.
“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.
They also say that it was paid for by Giffords and not that it was approved of by the candidates.
This was done in coordination with some of the bigger anti-gun names in politics, too, such as 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.).
Shocking, right?
No?
Yeah, me neither.
Look, there are a lot of stupid campaign finance rules out there, but if groups like the NRA and Gun Owners of America have to play by the rules, then so does Giffords. If they're not doing so, they deserve to be smacked down, just like anyone else. Just because they're convinced they're righteous, it doesn't mean they can do whatever they want.
Unfortunately, they've likely been getting away with it for years, as have the other gun-grabber groups out there. After all, too many others seem to give them a pass for all sorts of things, all because they're supposedly the white knights or something.
I'm not sure how the FEC will come down on this, but again, the rules are the rules, and even if they're stupid, you can't break them without expecting some kind of repercussions.
Considering how many of Giffords' donors are also part of the "money isn't free speech" crowd, this becomes a case of delicious irony.