A little-known group based in Virginia spent more than $3 million lobbying against gun control legislation this spring, massively outspending the National Rifle Association, according to records compiled and published on Tuesday by the Center for Public Integrity.
The second-quarter tally for the National Association for Gun Rights was almost four times what the nation’s most famous pro-gun organization, the National Rifle Association, spent on lobbying during the same period. The NRA spent $840,000 during the quarter, a near record for the organization, according to the center.
National Association for Gun Rights spokeswoman Danielle Thompson told the center her organization will continue this year to “be a thorn in the side of senators who seem to ride the fence on this issue,” and “spend whatever we believe it takes during the remainder of this year to make sure no new federal gun control becomes law.”
The efforts were ultimately successful, too. A major push to expand background checks on gun purchases died in the Senate in April.
