Investigation

The Gunfighters

An ongoing series investigating the National Rifle Association’s influence on state policy and politics.

Longform

The Unchecked Influence of NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer

Florida Republicans have allowed the relentless pro-gun operator to become a de facto member of government.
Mike Spies

Full Coverage

Lead Reporters

  • Mike Spies

    Senior Staff Writer
    Mike has produced numerous high-impact investigative projects focusing on the gun lobby, including a series that revealed widespread self-dealing at the National Rifle Association and an in-depth exploration of the gun industry’s role in the suicide crisis. A finalist for The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, the series led to New York Attorney General Letitia James’s lawsuit seeking to dissolve the NRA and her office’s ongoing attempts to hold its leadership accountable. Spies has also earned a New York Press Club Award for continuing coverage, and in 2017 was recognized as a finalist for the Livingston Award. His bylines have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, POLITICO magazine, Rolling Stone, and ProPublica, where he worked as a reporter focusing on democracy issues and the federal government.

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