This was the summer the General Assembly was slated to hold a special session to debate measures to rein in gun violence — a session that lasted 90 minutes before it adjourned until after Election Day. Now, right after the unofficial end of summer with Labor Day, the National Rifle Association has made its largest-ever contribution to a Virginia political fund.
The NRA gave $200,000 to House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert’s Majority Leader PAC this week.
It’s the largest single donation the gun rights lobby has made in Virginia since the Virginia Public Access Project started tracking campaign finance in the 1990s.
But, said Gilbert, “It pales in comparison to the millions that Mayor Bloomberg has already pledged to bring New York-style gun control to Virginia.” The sum is less than one-tenth what former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety committee said it would be giving to Virginia legislative candidates this year. In August, that group said it would give $2.5 million in Virginia this year, as it launched an online advertising campaign here.
As chairman of the House Courts of Justice’s criminal law subcommittee, Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, has been a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights and leading skeptic of gun control measures. He won the NRA’s “Defender of Freedom” award in 2017, cited because “he has consistently stood up to the gun control lobby and aggressively fought to promote our fundamental right to self-protection.”
The NRA contribution is the summer’s fourth largest single donation to a leadership, legislative caucus or candidate campaign fund this summer. So far, the House and Senate Democratic caucuses have outpaced their GOP counterparts in the summer race for big checks.
“It couldn’t be clearer — the NRA is rewarding Virginia Republicans for standing with them instead of their constituents,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post.
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Shad Plank is the Daily Press blog that tracks Virginia politics. It takes its name from the traditional Shad Planking political get-together, though hopefully it is tastier than the roasted fish featured at that Sussex County event. To contact Dave Ress with tips or questions, call 757-247-4535 or email dress@dailypress.com.
