Washington State Gambling Commission Delays NRA Foundation’s Request to Raise More Money through Fundraising Raffles

In recent years, Washington state regulators have allowed the National Rifle Association Foundation to raise more money through fundraising raffles.

With the investigation on NRA’s use of money, the Washington State Gambling Commission has voted to delay a decision on lifting the cap for the coming year. The commission, which regulates raffles, is allowed to lift that cap for entities that show good cause and prepare a detailed application.

The commission voted unanimously to delay raising the amount of annual winnings doled out by the NRA Foundation in raffles, which take place at functions such as fundraising banquets held in Washington.

The money is both raised and then distributed by the NRA Foundation, a separate entity from the organisation’s lobbying and political side. It pays for programs such as firearms safety and hunter education. Much of the money raised here, according to the NRA, is distributed in the state as grants for those programs. The New York attorney general’s office is investigating whether the NRA has violated laws that give it nonprofit status.

Julia Patterson, vice chair of the gambling commission, told an NRA Foundation representative that she believed the organisation’s policies were well-intended, to be apolitical and used for education purposes.

“But there’s an outstanding question as to whether or not your foundation’s money is being spent appropriately,” said Patterson.

In a statement, spokesman Lars Dalseide said the NRA Foundation has given more than $400 million to school teams and clubs, Boy Scout troops and law enforcement, including more than $4 million in the state.

“As a recognized public charity — much like the Boys & Girls Club, Toys for Tots, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art — the amount of money the NRA Foundation donates every year depends on the amount of the money raised,” Dalseide said.

In 2018, the NRA gave $253,451 in grants to state programs, according to its application before the Gambling Commission. That included money for certain school programs, firearms safety and youth marksmanship teams.