In 2016, the National Rifle Association spent more than $50 million to back Donald Trump and several Republican Senate candidates, establishing itself as a major force in the election.
At the same time, the organization’s finances were deep in the red. After allegedly abusing its nonprofit status for years through lavish spending on executives and vendors, the NRA is now facing a lawsuit from the New York attorney general that aims to dissolve the organization.
Despite those existential threats, the gun group has promised another show of force during the 2020 campaign, and in August made one of its largest ever ad buys with a spot attacking Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Using data from ProPublica and the Federal Election Commission, we’re tracking the NRA’s spending as it happens.
