Campaign Coordination Inquiry

Complaint to FEC Alleging Illegal Campaign Spending between NRA and Trump Campaign in 2016

December 7, 2018

Filing Summary

Explosive investigative reporting by The Trace revealed media buyers for the NRA’s purportedly independent campaign expenditures were simultaneously doing similar work on behalf of the campaigns they were supporting, including several high-profile U.S. Senate races and President Trump’s campaign.  Federal election law bars campaigns and independent groups from coordinating their spending.

Subsequent to the reporting by The Trace, at least five complaints were filed with the Federal Election Commission against the NRA alleging improper coordination of campaign spending.  This complaint, filed on December 7, 2018, by the Campaign Legal Center and Giffords focuses on potential illegal coordination between the NRA and Trump Campaign in the 2016 election. The complaint lays out the alleged scheme in great detail.

Key Points