ACLU to fight for NRA in Supreme Court free speech case

Dec 12, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), known for advocating for more progressive causes in its efforts to protect individual rights and liberties, is now siding with America’s most well-known gun rights group. The ACLU announced that it is representing the National Rifle Association in its Supreme Court case, which alleges New York’s Department of Financial Services violated the NRA’s First Amendment rights.

BREAKING: We’re representing the NRA at the Supreme Court in their case against New York’s Department of Financial Services for abusing its regulatory power to violate the NRA’s First Amendment rights.

The government can’t blacklist an advocacy group because of its viewpoint.
— ACLU (@ACLU) December 9, 2023

This announcements comes despite the ACLU saying that it doesn’t see eye to eye with the NRA.

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“We don’t support the NRA’s mission or its viewpoints on gun rights, and we don’t agree with their goals, strategies, or tactics,” the ACLU posted to X. “But we both know that government officials can’t punish organizations because they disapprove of their views.”

We don’t support the NRA's mission or its viewpoints on gun rights, and we don’t agree with their goals, strategies, or tactics.

But we both know that government officials can't punish organizations because they disapprove of their views. https://t.co/BPLhxFtH0P
— ACLU (@ACLU) December 9, 2023

The NRA alleges that the New York regulator infringed upon its First Amendment rights by blacklisting the Second Amendment group after the Parkland High School mass shooting in 2018.

The NRA pointed to the comments made by Maria Vullo, who was New York’s Department of Financial Services superintendent at the time. The NRA argues that Vullo discouraged banks and insurers from working with it when she told banks and insurers to keep in mind the “reputational risks” of working with the gun rights group.

Word of the ACLU representing the NRA has drawn criticism from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).

“The NRA is among the most powerful advocacy organizations in the country, with resources to secure the nation’s finest lawyers,” The NYCLU said in a statement. “It does not need the ACLU to volunteer for that job. We remain a proud affiliate of the ACLU, but in this moment the NYCLU respectfully dissents.”

In a post on X, the NRA said it is proud to stand with the ACLU as the groups fight against regulatory authority that violates free speech.

🇺🇸"The NRA is proud to stand with the @ACLU and others who recognize this important truth: regulatory authority cannot be used to silence political speech." –NRA President Charles Cotton@PeterCAitken/@FoxNews ➡️ https://t.co/FgNTeLZdAh pic.twitter.com/0YUAVC8IbN
— NRA (@NRA) December 9, 2023

Tags: ACLU, First Amendment, Free Speech, Guns, National Rifle Association, New York, Parkland Shooting, Supreme Court

THE ACLU AND THE NRA. TWO ACRONYMS YOU’VE HEARD OF BUT LIKELY NEVER SEEN TOGETHER.

THAT’S CHANGING NOW.

THE ACLU IS RUSHING TO THE DEFENSE OF THE NRA IN COURT — BUT THIS LEGAL FIGHT ISN’T ABOUT THE 2ND AMENDMENT.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE FIRST.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION – KNOWN FOR ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF MORE PROGRESSIVE CAUSES IN ITS EFFORTS TO PROTECT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES – IS NOW SIDING WITH AMERICA’S MOST WELL KNOWN GUN RIGHTS GROUP.

THE ACLU ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS REPRESENTING THE NRA AT THE SUPREME COURT IN ITS CASE WHICH ALLEGES NEW YORK’S DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES VIOLATED THE GUN GROUP’S FIRST AMENDMENTS RIGHTS.

EVEN THOUGH THE ACLU SAYS IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY SEE EYE TO EYE WITH THE NRA.

QUOTE

“WE DON’T SUPPORT THE NRA’S MISSION OR ITS VIEWPOINTS ON GUN RIGHTS, AND WE DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR GOALS, STRATEGIES, OR TACTICS.

BUT WE BOTH KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CAN’T PUNISH ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THEY DISAPPROVE OF THEIR VIEWS.”

THE NRA ALLEGES THAT THE NEW YORK REGULATOR INFRINGED UPON ITS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS BY BLACKLISTING THE SECOND AMENDMENT GROUP FOLLOWING THE PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL MASS SHOOTING.

THE NRA POINTING TO THE COMMENTS MADE BY MARIA VULLO, WHO WAS NEW YORK’S DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES SUPERINTENDENT AT THE TIME.

THE NRA SAYS VULLO DISCOURAGED BANKS AND INSURERS FROM WORKING WITH IT WHEN SHE TOLD BANKS AND INSURERS TO KEEP IN MIND THE QUOTE “REPUTATIONAL RISKS” OF WORKING WITH THE GUN RIGHTS GROUP.

WORD OF THE ACLU REPRESENTING THE NRA HAS DRAWN CRITICISM FROM THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION WHICH HAD STRONG WORDS FOR THE ACLU FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

SAYING IN PART, QUOTE:

“THE NRA IS AMONG THE MOST POWERFUL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, WITH RESOURCES TO SECURE THE NATION’S FINEST LAWYERS. IT DOES NOT NEED THE ACLU TO VOLUNTEER FOR THAT JOB. WE REMAIN A PROUD AFFILIATE OF THE ACLU, BUT IN THIS MOMENT THE NYCLU RESPECTFULLY DISSENTS.”

IN A POST ON X, THE NRA SAID IT IS PROUD TO STAND WITH THE ACLU AS THE GROUPS FIGHT AGAINST REGULATORY AUTHORITY VIOLATING FREE SPEECH