NEW YORK _ The National Rifle Association received donations from 23 individuals with Russian addresses, an attorney for the firearms lobby said in a letter dated April 10. The letter was released by Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon.
According to a review of NRA financial records between 2015 and April 2018, the organization received about $2,512 from those with Russian addresses. Some of those addresses may be linked to American citizens living in Russia, the NRA said in the letter. Of the $2,512, "about $525 was from two individuals who made contributions to the NRA," the letter from NRA general counsel John C. Frazer stated. "The rest consisted of routine payments from about 23 individuals for membership dues and additional magazine subscriptions."
Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has previously written to the NRA to ask about its fundraising efforts, specifically related to Russia. U.S. authorities are reportedly investigating if the group funneled Russian funds into the 2016 presidential election. During the last campaign cycle, the NRA spent more than $50 million, including $30.3 million to support Republican candidate Donald Trump, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
According to a Wyden aide, the senator plans to refer his correspondence with the NRA to the Federal Elections Commission.
