On Friday, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol issued a subpoena to Bill Bachenberg of Pennsylvania, an active NRA board member and one of 14 individuals who allegedly met and submitted false electoral college certificates declaring President Donald Trump won a series of battleground states in 2020.
This latest tie between the NRA and far-right extremist efforts is no surprise, given the gun lobby’s extended history of enshrining guns as tools of the far right. Several NRA board members and those associated with the organization have promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
In November, a Rolling Stone report revealed that a separate NRA board member appeared on the leaked membership rolls of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group which allegedly played a key role in the January 6th insurrection. The NRA previously promoted a rally featuring Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and allowed the Oath Keepers to run booths at annual NRA shows. Rhodes was one those indicted this month on charges of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the insurrection.
Everytown has detailed the gun lobby’s ties to far-right extremism. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to speak with an Everytown expert about the NRA and gun lobby’s ties to far-right extremism.