Initiated in August of 2020, the goal of the Gun Accountability Project (GAP) is to expose the conflicts of interest that help the gun lobby to influence legislatures all over the country. By lobbying for schools, local governments, and organizations such as medical and mental health groups in addition to the gun industry, these lobbyists can present themselves as representing the interests of even those who are seriously harmed by lax gun laws. GAP’s mission is to bring light to these conflicts and encourage those organizations that are represented by lobbyists with conflicts of interest to fire them.

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Gun Lobbyists in 2021

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From GAP's survey of all 50 states' lobbyist registration lists in 2020, here are some examples of lobbyists who represent clients who are or could potentially be impacted by gun violence. See GAP's "Names & Conflicts" page for a complete list of conflicts.

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Healthcare Professionals and the Gun Industry

 

NY

Park Strategies, LLC.

Representing numerous hospitals and regional medical care systems across New York state, Park Strategies is simultaneously a legislative advocate for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). This occurs alongside a July 2021 state of emergency declaration that committed nearly 139 million dollars toward stemming the number of homicides across New York state. 

 

LA

Southern Strategy Group

Active in Louisiana as a subsidiary of the Southern Group, the Southern Strategy Group concurrently represents the Louisiana State Nurses Association and the NSSF. This relationship continues even as Louisiana placed as the sixth-highest in the country in gun deaths per capita in 2019.

 

WI

The Welch Group

In addition to representing the Wisconsin Firearm owners, the Welch Group additionally lobbies for the Wisconsin Nurses Association and Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association. The financial cost of gun violence in the state in terms of medical costs alone runs up to 46 million dollars every year.

 

Schools and the Gun Industry

 

LA

Southern Strategy Group

The Southern Strategy Group, in addition to representing the NSSF, also advocates for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. This is despite the epidemic of gun violence in Louisiana that threatens the lives of children more than in any other state.

 

LA

Emory A. Belton, Jr.

Owner of Belton Law Firm/Belton Consulting LLC in Baton Rouge, Belton concurrently represents both the gun-oriented Louisiana Sportsmen’s Coalition and the LaFourche Parish School Board. Louisiana is the worst state in the country for children in terms of firearm deaths.

 

CO

Holland & Hart LLP

This Denver-based firm simultaneously represents the NSSF and Colorado Mountain College. Colorado has a long and troubling history of mass shootings in Columbine, Aurora, Boulder, and Colorado Springs.

 

Major Corporations

 

NY

Park Strategies, LLC.

In addition to lobbying on behalf of the NSSF, Park Strategies also advocates for the Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company prohibits all weapons and firearms on the premises of its resorts.

 

NY 

Park Strategies LLC.

Microsoft Corporation Park Strategies is represented alongside the NSSF by Microsoft Corporation. Meanwhile, Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen have donated significant amounts towards advancing gun control.

 

MD 

Frank D. Boston III

Boston’s clients include both the National Rifle Association and e-commerce giant Amazon, which disallows the sale of all guns or ammunition on its platform. Gun violence in the state of Maryland is directly responsible for the loss of approximately 294 million dollars worth of taxpayer money per year.

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