The NRA Spent $419 million in 2016 election

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The National Rifle Association spent $419 million in 2016, increasing its 2015 total by over $100 million and dwarfing spending in previous presidential election years by far more, according to an audit published Thursday.

The document, first obtained by the Center for Responsive Politics, offers a detailed accounting of the NRA’s 2015 and 2016 expenditures on a variety of initiatives, including publications, competitions and recreational shooting services. The largest year-to-year leap came in its political spending, as the gun group dumped unprecedented amounts of cash into the 2016 election cycle.

Last year, the NRA, which is registered as a nonprofit, spent nearly $140 million on legislative programs and public affairs, an increase of about $75 million overall from 2015. These categories are not itemized further in the financial report, but they likely encompass the lobbying efforts and campaign contributions that have become a cornerstone of the NRA’s political power.

This $140 million figure includes a $30 million investment in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign as well as at least $20 million more to help GOP Senate candidates ― though recent reports suggest spending on congressional races may have been significantly higher. As the Center for Responsive Politics notes, much of that funding came in the form of “dark money” disbursed by the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that is not required to disclose its donors.

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https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nra-2016-spending_us_5a0dd3e6e4b0b17e5e14e636?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

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1. How much came from Russia