NRA spends nearly $55K on mailers targeting Doug Jones

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is shelling out thousands of dollars going after Democratic candidate Doug Jones in the final days of the Alabama Senate race.

The powerful pro-gun lobbying group spent nearly $55,000 paying for mailers on Tuesday that take aim at Jones, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Despite the anti-Jones campaign, the NRA has not formally endorsed any candidate in the race ahead of the Tuesday special election.

Jones is facing off against GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has come under fire after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.

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Several women have said Moore pursued them when they were teenagers while he was in his 30s, including one woman who said she was 14 when Moore touched her sexually. Another has accused Moore of assaulting her when she was 16.

President Trump this week endorsed Moore, who has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing. Trump’s support spurred the Republican National Committee to resume its financial assistance to Moore, after pulling it amid the wave of allegations. 

Jones has described himself as “a Second Amendment guy,” sharing his appreciation for hunting and touting that he owns a case full of guns.

But, he argues, there needs to be “smart” gun regulations like ensuring that background check systems effectively prevent people with a criminal history from purchasing a gun.

“We’ve got limitations on all constitutional amendments in one form or another,” Jones told AL.com in a September interview.

 “I want to enforce the laws that we have right now. The biggest issue, I think, that’s facing the Second Amendment right now is that we need to make sure we shore up the National Crime Information System, the NCIC system for background checks, to both keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but at the same time, cut down on error so that law-abiding citizens can get those.”

While the NRA has spent thousands of dollars in the Alabama race, their financial involvement in the Senate match is relatively small compared to several other races.