NRA campaign donations in Florida not what you think
It has become a predictable pattern of American life: The nation looks on as a lone killer commits a mass murder.
Immediately, there are calls for stronger gun laws, and blame is assigned to the National Rifle Association. Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the NRA goes on the attack, rallying his members to resist any attempts to regulate guns.
The predictability of this is familiar to all, but is there any expectation that LaPierre will break down and throw his organization behind stronger gun laws?
His job is to encourage as many Americans as possible to own as many guns as possible, and he is very good at his job. So good that the impact of the NRA’s financial prowess has been overrated. The NRA is depicted as financing the campaigns of every gun-control opponent from dog catcher to president. But that’s not quite so. In 2016, an estimated $324.8 million from all sources was spent on campaigns in Florida — yes, almost a third of a billion dollars — but not a penny from the NRA went to candidates for the Florida Legislature. The NRA derives its power from convincing politicians to toe the NRA line, while traditional sources of campaign money take care of financing pro-gun Republicans.
Last month, the Florida House of Representatives voted not to allow debate on stronger gun laws in the wake of the Parkland killings. It wasn’t a vote on stronger laws, just whether to hear arguments on AR-15 assault weapons. Seventyone Republicans voted against allowing debate — 68 of them hold “A” or “A+” ratings from the NRA; one has a “D” rating; and two have no rating. Eight — Mike Miller, Jason Brodeur, Rene Plasencia, Bob Cortes, Bobby Olszewski, Scott Plakon, Jennifer Sullivan and Mike La Rosa — represent Central Florida. These eight received hundreds of thousands of dollars from many of the same sources — the Republican Party, large law firms, tourismrelated companies and other businesses. For example, there were large contributions from Disneyrelated companies and committees, and major law firms such as GrayRobinson and Holland & Knight. Seven received contributions from the Orlando Magic. Few companies, political-action committees and individuals make contributions based on a single issue, but rather on the broad views of a candidate.
One candidate, Mike Miller, who ran for re-election to the state House in 2016, stands out because of his broader support. Three months after 49 people died in the slaughter at the Pulse nightclub, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer — a registered Democrat — endorsed Miller, saying, “Mike Miller is an effective and pragmatic leader.” This, even though Miller had voted earlier that year for legislation to allow people to openly carry guns — including AR-15s — on the streets of Orlando, and voted to allow students at state colleges to bring guns to class.
Miller’s 2016 opponent, Democrat Beth Tuura, was a gun-control supporter who said it was time to “restrict access to high-capacity weapons.”
Dyer had been neutral in the 2014 election between Republican Gov. Rick Scott — a major NRA supporter — and Democrat Charlie Crist. However, at a news conference during the campaign, Dyer praised Scott.
This year, the stakes are even higher for Miller and the NRA. He is running for the congressional seat held by Democrat Stephanie Murphy, who has called for guncontrol legislation. Already, Miller has picked up major support. According to Open Secrets, which tracks contributions, GrayRobinson’s political committee is Miller’s largest donor with a donation of $7,617. GrayRobinson — one of the state’s five-largest law firms — is headed by Mayanne Downs, who is also Orlando’s city attorney, although a contribution by a committee does not necessarily reflect the views of every member of the firm.
In fact, Charlie Gray, co-founder of the firm, just gave up his AR-15 rifle to the Orange County Sheriff ’s Office and relinquished his NRA membership.
The NRA would receive a boost if Miller wins his primary and goes on to defeat Murphy. Kissimmee’s Tupperware Brands has contributed $2,500 to Miller’s campaign. In 2014, Dyer endorsed Murphy, but has not taken sides in this year’s election.
If you are looking for irony in political contributions, consider the Physicians for Emergency Care and Emergency Care for Florida, political-action committees that represent many of the state’s emergency hospital workers. Just weeks after the Pulse shooting, the PAC representing the Florida College of Emergency Physicians gave thousands of dollars to pro-NRA candidates.
Al Hoffman Jr., a major state and national Republican donor, announced he would no longer make political contributions until meaningful gun-control legislation has passed. It will be interesting to see if others follow his lead.