Documents Point to Illegal Campaign Coordination Between Trump and the NRA

[Miles Archer]

Documents Point to Illegal Campaign Coordination Between Trump and the NRA



https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/12/nra-trump-2016-campaign-coordination-political-advertising/

The National Rifle Association spent $30 million to help elect Donald Trump—more than any other independent conservative group. Most of that sum went toward television advertising, but a political message loses its power if it fails to reach the right audience at the right time. For the complex and consequential task of placing ads in key markets across the nation in 2016, the NRA turned to a media strategy firm called Red Eagle Media.

One element of Red Eagle’s work for the NRA involved purchasing a slate of 52 ad slots on WVEC, the ABC affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia, in late October 2016. The ads targeted adults aged 35 to 64, and aired on local news programs and syndicated shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. In paperwork filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Red Eagle described them as “anti-Hillary” and “pro-Trump.”

The Trump campaign pursued a strikingly similar advertising strategy. Shortly after the Red Eagle purchase, as Election Day loomed, it bought 33 adson the same station, set to air during the same week. The ads, which the campaign purchased through a firm called American Media & Advocacy Group (AMAG), were aimed at precisely the same demographic as the NRA spots, and often ran during the same shows, bombarding Norfolk viewers with complementary messages.

The two purchases may have looked coincidental; Red Eagle and AMAG appear at first glance to be separate firms. But each is closely connected to a major conservative media-consulting firm called National Media Research, Planning and Placement. In fact, the three outfits are so intertwined that both the NRA’s and the Trump campaign’s ad buys were authorized by the same person: National Media’s chief financial officer, Jon Ferrell.

[pecosbob]

1. Illegal coordination of illegal (Russian) contributions

[beachbum bob]

2. Can't wait for the house hearing and investigation.

[Hassler]

3. We haven't seen much of Wayne Lapierre. Wonder where he's hiding?

Perhaps the Russian embassy.

[Doodley]

4. Like Fox News, the NRA is an integral part of the GOP.

[Pepsidog]

9. Trump gets stinky panties anytime Fox is even slightly critical. Our country is being ruined by the

Murdochs and something needs to be done about it. Lachlan Murdoch is apparently in charge of the news division and shows little interest in the media. I despised Roger Ailes but wonder if he would have pushed against Trump considering he reportedly couldn't stand Trump either. I have said it for years, the cold civil war continue until we deal with the Fox problem.

[Dave in VA]

5. I Remember

seeing these during the campaign. I thought that it was a real waste of money because Virginia was never in play. Was this the only market that this occurred in?

Lock them up!!!

[UpInArms]

6. Everything about this POS is illegal

The Orange Magat should have all his assets stripped and be sleeping on 10-thread count sheets

[DoctorJoJo]

7. ALL the Repuke Cretins Are Meeting Their Maker (Mueller)!

[BigmanPigman]

8. The NRA is in trouble from Mueller too.

The red headed Russian spy and Russian/NRA connection has been exposed. I hope they get the Christian Right's role in the Russia /NRA collaboration too.

[Amaryllis]

10. How shocking. Such a surprise.

[Scurrilous]

11. K&R