By Dave Workman | Editor-in-Chief
A report in the Washington Free Beacon revealing that federal Paycheck Protection Program loans went to at least two gun prohibition groups brought a swift and blistering reaction from two national Second Amendment organizations.
Alan Gottlieb, founder and executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, a non-profit that specializes in education and litigation, released a statement noting, “We didn’t take a penny of taxpayer money, nor did we even apply, because that simply would not have been appropriate.”
Gottlieb also chairs the grassroots Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. CCRKBA works with state and local groups at the grassroots level.
According to the Free Beacon report, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence “received between $350,000 and $1 million on April 10 to support 41 employees, according to the Small Business Administration.”
Likewise, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reportedly accepted a loan worth between $150,000 and $350,000 in April, to meet payroll for 16 employees.
“SAF had to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars from contributors to file lawsuits during the coronavirus shutdowns to keep gun stores open as essential businesses so Americans could exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Gottlieb said.
He told the Free Beacon, “As chairman of the Citizens’ Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, since one of the arms is political, I would not have applied for it.”
“On the other hand,” he told TGM, “the Brady and Gifford groups fought to keep gun stores closed while taking taxpayer funds to stop people from being able to buy firearms and ammunition to protect themselves and their property from violence including rioters, looters and arsonists.”
“More appalling is the fact that, according to their latest tax returns, the Brady and Gifford organizations have several millions of dollars in assets,” Gottlieb noted. “They did not need any taxpayer money to keep their doors open.”
The Miami Herald reported recently that the Florida Democratic Party is returning a PPP loan “worth more than $700,000 after public backlash.”
Neither gun control organization has reacted so far to the revelation.
“I find it appalling they applied for, took, and even got PPP loans,” Gottlieb told the Free Beacon. “The Brady Center and Giffords should give the money back. Gun owners in this country shouldn’t have their tax dollars used to support groups that want to take their guns away.”
