The anti-gun group has cost taxpayers more than $1 million
By Lee Williams
SAF Investigative Journalism Project
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence will soon receive a second taxpayer-funded PPP loan of $579,530, which was approved by the Small Business Administration just last month.
Last year, the gun control group received a PPP bailout of $695,000, according to documents available online that the Investigative Journalism Project viewed.
As soon as the funds from the current loan are disbursed, it will mean the Brady Center has cost taxpayers more than $1,274,530.
The multi-billion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, was launched by the federal government to help small businesses and their employees who were hit hard by COVID-19. Although technically a loan, the PPP offers 100% loan forgiveness if the business adheres to basic spending criteria.
Brady spokesman Liam Sullivan did not immediately return calls or emails seeking comment about whether these funds will be used to support anti-gun candidates. However, according to SBA documents, Brady said it will use the money to pay its 56 staffers.
According to SBA: “On the PPP application, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence reported intending to use the proceeds of their PPP loan for the following expenses: Payroll: $579,529.”
According to their most recent IRS from 990, from 2018, the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit claimed more than $7.5 million in total revenue, and paid its president, Kris Brown, more than $283,700 in salary and other compensation.
The Brady Center is not the only anti-gun group helping themselves to taxpayer money.
Last year, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence received $349,700 from the PPP, which it told the SBA it would use to pay its 16 staff members.
Other lesser-known anti-gun groups have cashed in on PPP funds too.
A partial list includes the following:
- The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, based in Washington, D.C., received $279,992
- Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, based in Washington, D.C., received $248,900
- Christians Against Gun Violence Endangering Our Children, based in Garland, Texas, received $85,000
- CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, based in Fairfield, received $59,430
- New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Inc., received $57,680
- CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Inc., based in Fairfield, received $48,700
- Women Against Gun Violence, bases in Los Angeles, received $14,652
- North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, based in Raleigh, received $13,285
- States United to Prevent Gun Violence, based in Chicago, received $6,800
- Rhode Island Gun Violence Education Fund, based in Kingstown, received $5,248
“The vast majority of Americans do not support these groups or their anti-rights efforts,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Therefore, American taxpayers should not be asked to help keep them afloat.”
None of the country’s major pro-gun organizations have applied for or received PPP funds, including the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and the Second Amendment Foundation.
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