Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
By Larry Keane
NSSF won’t hold our collective breath waiting on U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to issue even a whisper of a statement blasting Michael Bloomberg’s latest move with breathless hysteria as “corrupt” and a “threat to democracy.” After all, the two are gun control bedfellows.
I voted for @KamalaHarris without hesitation. When it comes to policy and personal integrity, the contrast could not be clearer, and I hope undecided voters with a history of supporting candidates in both parties join me. https://t.co/BpMWe9Hx6u pic.twitter.com/HvVLkh9dCU
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) October 31, 2024
But Sen. Whitehouse’s staunch stands against “dark money” groups trying to buy influence will prove again to be glaring hypocrisy and yet another case of a politician forcing one-sided standards against opponents.
Michael Bloomberg, the failed presidential candidate and former New York City mayor, who also funds the gun control groups Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, is throwing more of his chump change at Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign in the last week of the election to try and buy more gun control seats in Washington, D.C., and hopefully The White House.
His latest gift amounts to $50 million, on top of several million he’s already donated. Sen. Whitehouse hasn’t said a thing.
Couch Cushion Donation
Bloomberg’s net worth is reportedly north of $104 billion – that’s with a “B.” After all, he spent more than $1 billion himself in 2019 and 2020 during his failed Democratic presidential campaign and then to support eventual President Joe Biden. Throwing millions of dollars at his pet project causes doesn’t dent his pocketbook.
Bloomberg, after noticeable hesitation in backing Vice President Harris’ campaign, jumped in again at the last minute to provide a shot in the arm over the final week. Bloomberg announced he was giving another $50 million to help the vice president become president, but not directly to the Harris-Walz campaign.
Forbes reported Bloomberg instead gave his pocket change donation to Future Forward USA Action. That’s a group Forbes describes as “the so-called dark money arm of the pro-Harris Future Forward super PAC that, as a nonprofit, is not required to report its donors.” You know -a “dark money” group Sen. Whitehouse rails against.
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Sen. Whitehouse, for his part, decried Senate Republicans just a couple years ago for receiving support from “megadonors and secretive special interests” that “protect the most corrupting force in American politics — dark money.” Where’s Sen. Whithouse’s outrage now?
This donation now isn’t Bloomberg’s first money drop of the 2024 campaign, though. He’s already given $47 million in federally disclosed political contributions this election cycle, including $19 million to President Biden’s main super PAC, which Harris took over, and $10 million to the House Democratic campaign arm, according to the Forbes report.
Hypocrisy Abounds
The dark-money hypocrisy by Sen. Whitehouse isn’t alone. Bloomberg himself is a case study that should be taught in graduate school political science courses. His gun control wishes are well known and go back decades. He founded the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) in 2006 during his first term as the mayor of New York City. He immediately caused some big problems.
Bloomberg unlawfully co-opted protected firearm trace data from the New York City Police to prepare a lawsuit against the firearm industry and ordered private investigators to conduct “sting” operations of out-of-state firearm retailers – without the knowledge of ATF or even his own police commissioner.
The result was disastrous. Bloomberg interfered with as many as 18 ongoing criminal investigations, jeopardizing the lives of law enforcement officers, informants, witnesses and others. The ATF was forced to pull agents out of the field for their own protection. The Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated the actions of the mayor’s private investigators and admonished the city against engaging in similar conduct because it could “interrupt or jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations.”
Fast forward to his failed presidential campaign and Bloomberg’s “holier than thou” mentality was on full display, clearly demonstrating why his campaign flamed out.
During a Fox News Town Hall, Bloomberg fielded an audience question regarding his strict gun control platform and questioning why he supported gun control for others while enjoying private armed security. “Does your life matter more than mine, or my family’s or these people’s?”
Bloomberg’s answer went over like a lead balloon. He dismissively responded, “Alright, look… I probably get 40 or 50 threats every week… That just happens when you’re the mayor of New York City, or very wealthy, or campaigning for the president of the United States. You’re gonna get lots of threats.” So yes, Bloomberg believes his life is more valuable than that of everyday Americans.
Landscape’s Changed
Since the last presidential election in 2020, the political landscape has changed and the calculus has too, specifically regarding the population of gun owners in America. In the four years after Bloomberg’s own presidential attempt went down in flames, more than 22.3 million Americans decided the Second Amendment was right for them and went to a firearm retailer to purchase a firearm – for the first time.
Skyrocketing crime drove much of those sales, which included the most diverse population of gun purchasers in history. In fact, the fastest-growing demographic of new gun owners over the past four years has been African American women.
One Real Clear Policy column, however, summed up why the shifting landscape could mean Bloomberg and his millions could come up empty yet again.
“As more left-leaning Americans become gun owners, they may develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for firearm rights… As firearms become tools of self-defense for an increasingly diverse population, the evolving demographics of gun ownership may well reshape the national conversation on this vital issue for years to come.”
With only days until Election Day, it’s crucial that all gun owners and Second Amendment supporters make it to the polls and #GUNVOTE® so they don’t risk their rights. If they do, Micheal Bloomberg and Sen. Whitehouse could be left crying in their pillows again.
Larry Keane is Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
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