NRA breaks 15-year fundraising record after Parkland shooting

[Nergal]

 

In the wake of one of the deadliest US high school shootings, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has raised its biggest haul in donations in 15 years.

The powerful gun lobby's political fund raised $2.4 million (£1.7 million) in March, filings submitted to the Federal Elections Commissions (FEC) show.

The total marks the most it has raised in a single month since June 2003.

March was the group's first month of fundraising since the Parkland school shooting in Florida left 17 dead.

Most of the donations, which was $1.5m more than it raised last year during the same period, came from donors who gave less than $200 (£143), FEC records show.

This is not the first time a shooting has resulted in a boost in donations. The NRA raised $1.1m (£787,000) and $1.5m (£1m) in January and February 2013, just after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.

While the NRA's Political Victory Fund does give money directly to political campaigns, the majority of its spending is indirectly linked to a candidate's campaign.

In Florida, Republican Senator Marco Rubio received $9,900 (£7,000) from the NRA, but the group spent over $3m (£2.1m) indirectly to support his election, according to US media.

Gun control organisations have not seen the same donation momentum.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit group advocating for gun control, raised just $13,580 (£9,700) for their political fund in March.

March for Our Lives, the group founded after the Parkland shooting, did raise $3.5m (£2.5m) since February, but according to the fundraising page, half of the money went towards the Washington on 24 March.

The rest went to the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.