The owners of the manufacturer of the gun allegedly used in the Uvalde school shooting are deep-pocketed Republican donors, The Washington Post reports.
Marvin C. Daniel and his wife, Cindy D. Daniel, who are the owners of Daniel Defense, have given more than $70,000 directly to GOP candidates for federal office this election cycle. Last year, the manufacturer gave $100,000 to GOP causes.
“The ability of the industry to use money to advance its policy agenda has increased given the dramatic rise in firearm sales that we’ve seen over the last two or three years,” said Timothy D. Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University. “The industry is much better equipped to further its lobbying interests, independent of the NRA.”
One of the couple's beneficiaries is Trump-endorsed former football star Herschel Walker, who is running for Georgia Senate. Others include Republican Sens. Joni Ernst (IA), Tim Scott (SC) and John Neely Kennedy (LA).
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A statement on Daniel Defense's website says “it is our understanding that the firearm used in the attack was manufactured by Daniel Defense. We will cooperate with all federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in their investigations."
The rifle reportedly used in the shooting, the DDM4 V7, sells for about $2,000, according to the website.
“In north Georgia, the semiautomatic rifle has replaced the flag as the primary signifier of a particular congressional candidate’s political alignment,” Lytton said.
Read the full report at The Washington Post.