The Gun Lobby

A Guide to the Gun Industry’s Unique Legal Protections

Law

A Guide to the Gun Industry’s Unique Legal Protections

A pair of lawsuits threatens to erode the special legal immunity that gun manufacturers, distributors, and dealers enjoy. Here’s the federal law they’re taking on.

Champe Barton
2020 Will Be a Big Year for the Gun Issue

Analysis

2020 Will Be a Big Year for the Gun Issue

We asked 13 experts to help us get a jump on what's ahead.

Team Trace
NRA Accused of ‘Elaborate Scheme’ to Evade Campaign Finance Law

Bang for the Buck

NRA Accused of ‘Elaborate Scheme’ to Evade Campaign Finance Law

A new complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission accuses the National Rifle Association and GOP Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley of engaging in “an elaborate scheme designed to evade detection” of campaign finance violations. The complaint from the…

Mike Spies
NRA Continues to Use Mystery Firm in Latest Round of Election Spending

Bang for the Buck

NRA Continues to Use Mystery Firm in Latest Round of Election Spending

The National Rifle Association is continuing to funnel much of its spending on the 2018 midterm elections through an apparent shell company that, according to one campaign watchdog, is part of a scheme to skirt election laws. Read Next…

Mike Spies
NRA Membership Dues Tumbled Last Year

National Rifle Association

NRA Membership Dues Tumbled Last Year

Experts say a $5 million loan from a related foundation may be a symptom of a cash crunch.

John Cook
The Mystery Firm That Has Become the NRA’s Top Election Consultant

Bang for the Buck

The Mystery Firm That Has Become the NRA’s Top Election Consultant

Since 2014, the gun rights group has paid more than $60 million to a little known contractor for ads in must-win political races. Did it break campaign finance laws in the process?

Mike Spies
Chicago Shootings Are Surging Again. But a Bill to Inspect Illinois Gun Stores Sits on the Shelf.

Gun Policy

Chicago Shootings Are Surging Again. But a Bill to Inspect Illinois Gun Stores Sits on the Shelf.

With the ATF stretched thin, licensed firearms dealers can go years without close scrutiny.

Ethan Michaeli
The NRA Appoints Itself Leader of the Trump ‘Counter Resistance’

National Rifle Association

The NRA Appoints Itself Leader of the Trump ‘Counter Resistance’

In an ad debuting the group's new rallying cry, Wayne LaPierre accuses the president's critics of starting a war.

Mike Spies
The NRA Has Been Moonlighting as an Anti-Immigration Group for Years

The Gun Lobby

The NRA Has Been Moonlighting as an Anti-Immigration Group for Years

The gun group and Donald Trump agree on more than just the Second Amendment.

Adam Weinstein and Mike Spies
Gun Reform Groups Say a Senate Win Shows Their Attack Ads Work, Too

Election 2016

Gun Reform Groups Say a Senate Win Shows Their Attack Ads Work, Too

Internal polling data shows how much standing with the NRA may have cost Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire.

Dan Friedman
Ohio Wants to Give Gun Owners More Civil Rights Protections Than Gay Workers

The Gun Lobby

Ohio Wants to Give Gun Owners More Civil Rights Protections Than Gay Workers

After repeatedly declining to shield LGBT workers from dismissal over sexual orientation, the state legislature will consider a bill that makes it unlawful to fire employees who store firearms in their cars on company property.

Alex Yablon
The NRA’s Straight-A Students

The Gunfighters

The NRA’s Straight-A Students

National polls show openness to tougher gun laws, but state lawmakers keep expanding gun rights and blocking reforms. One little letter explains why.

Mike Spies
See How Much Money the NRA Has Spent on Congressional Races Near You

National Rifle Association

See How Much Money the NRA Has Spent on Congressional Races Near You

A new tool from Slate sifts through more than 25 years of the gun group’s expenditures.

Mike Spies
On Gun Laws, State Republicans Are Finding Their Limits Tested

National Rifle Association

On Gun Laws, State Republicans Are Finding Their Limits Tested

Conservative lawmakers in at least four southern states killed NRA-backed bills in 2016.

Alex Yablon
Torpedoed.

The Gunfighters

Torpedoed.

A legendary NRA lobbyist declared war on Florida officials who tried to stop a gun range from raining metal shot on a public park. A trove of emails and text messages reveals why it was never a fair fight.

Mike Spies