NRA Funds Harwood, Kelly, Fogarty, Tavares, and Watson

Last week's tragic shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado have reawakened public criticisms about the easy availability of guns in American society. It therefore is interesting that the campaign committees of several prominent Rhode Island politicians have accepted $4,450 in political contributions from one of our country's most virulent opponents of gun control, the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund.

House Speaker John Harwood received a $1,000 contribution from the NRA Political Victory Fund on February 22, 1999, according to a recent NRA filing with the Federal Election Commission. This follows a $600 contribution to Harwood on April 27, 1998 based on the Speaker's filings with the RI Board of Elections. These contributions cannot please Congressman Patrick Kennedy, a vocal critic of the NRA, and major ally of Speaker Harwood.

The Senate Democratic Committee of the Rhode Island Senate Democratic Committee received a $500 contribution on February 4, 1999. Senate Majority Leader Paul Kelly received a $600 contribution on June 23, 1998.

As shown on the table below, Lieutenant Governor Charles Fogarty, Treasurer Paul Tavares, and Republican Congressional Candidate Robert Watson also have received campaign committee gifts.

Rhode Island politicians who have not accepted or received campaign contributions from the NRA include Senators John Chafee and Jack Reed, Representatives Patrick Kennedy and Robert Weygand, Governor Lincoln Almond, past gubernatorial candidate Myrth York, Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse, and Secretary of State James Langevin.