The National Rifle Association (NRA) appears to have Illegally Coordinated its Political Advertising with Republican Candidates in at least Three Recent High-Profile U.S. Senate Races, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Records.
In Senate Races in Missouri and Montana in 2018 and North Carolina in 2016, the NRA’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.
In December, the Trace and Mother Jones Reported on a similar Pattern of Coordination between the NRA and Trump’s 2016 Presidential Campaign. In that case, Trump and the NRA hired Affiliates of the same Company, National Media Research, Planning and Placement, to Direct their Ad Spending.
Employees of that Firm, operating under different Corporate Identities, placed Ads for both Trump and the NRA on Television Stations across the Country, with the apparent Goal of reinforcing each other’s Message.
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.
At the same time, the FBI Counterintelligence Investigators are focused on Allegations that Alexander Torshin, the Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Russia who is known for his close Relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Life Member of the NRA, Funneled Money through the NRA to the Trump Campaign. It is illegal to use Foreign Money to Influence U.S. Federal Elections. Torshin is a Key figure in Ongoing Congressional and Special Counsel-led Investigations into Allegations of Collusion between the Russians and the Trump Campaign.
In November 2017, Torshin tried to Arrange a “backdoor” Meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Torshin’s Proposal is explained in a May 2016 Email from Rick Clay, an Advocate for Conservative Christian Causes, to Rick Dearborn, a Trump Campaign Aide. Clay was Organizing a Dinner in Louisville, Ky., honoring Wounded Veterans, and Trump was Scheduled to be in the City for the NRA’s Annual Convention. In the Email to Dearborn, Clay said he hoped that Trump would Attend the Dinner, and he also included Details about the Overture from Torshin. The Email said that the Dinner would be a Chance for Trump to meet Torshin, who is a Vocal Advocate for Gun Rights in Russia.
Although that Meeting ultimately did Not take place, Torshin did Meet with Trump’s Eldest Son at a NRA Event. Torshin was seated with Donald Trump Jr., during a Private Dinner on the Sidelines of a May 2016 NRA Event during the Convention in Louisville. Congressional Investigators have No clear Explanation for how that came to be. Alan Futerfas, a Lawyer for Donald Trump Jr., Confirmed his Client spoke with Torshin at the Dinner, but he said the Men were not Sitting together. “Donald J. Trump Jr. was attending an NRA convention and having dinner when an acquaintance asked him to say hello to Torshin and made an introduction,” Futerfas said. “They made small talk for a few minutes and went back to their separate meals. That is the extent of their communication or contact.”
Spanish Anti-Corruption Officials have identified Torshin as a “Godfather” in the Russian Mafia. The Disclosure is the latest Example of a Senior Russian Official seeking to make high-level Contacts with the Trump Campaign.
McClatchy added that the NRA spent Record Amounts of Money supporting Candidates in the 2016, most of which went to the Trump Campaign. The Extent to which the FBI has Evidence of Money flowing from Torshin to the NRA, or of the NRA’s Participation in the Transfer of Funds, could not be learned. However, the NRA Reported spending a Record $55 Million on the 2016 Elections, including $30 Million to Support Trump, triple what the group devoted to backing Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 Presidential Race. Most of that was Money spent by an Arm of the NRA that is not required to Disclose its Donors.
Close Connections to the NRA said its Total Election Spending actually approached or exceeded $70 Million. The Reporting Gap could be explained by the fact that Independent Groups are Not Required to reveal how much they Spend on Internet Ads or Field Operations, including Get-Out-the-Vote Efforts.
During an August 2017 Interview by Congressional Investigators of Glenn Simpson, Founder of Fusion GPS, which is the Research Firm for whom a former British Spy created a now Infamous Collection of Memoranda that has come to be known as the Trump-Russia Dossier, said “The NRA has been “Infiltrated by Russia. It appears the Russians, you know, infiltrated the NRA, and there is more than one explanation for why. But I would say broadly speaking, it appears that the Russian operation was designed to infiltrate conservative organizations. And they targeted various conservative organizations, religious and otherwise, and they seem to have made a very concerted effort to get in with the NRA.”
So there is a Russian Banker, Duma Member, Mafia Leader, named Alexander Torshin, who is a Life Member of the NRA, and he is well known to Spanish Law Enforcement for Money Laundering Activity, that wants to speak with Candidate/President Trump and spoke with Donald J. Trump Jr.
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