FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2017

MEDIA CONTACT:
Andrew Patrick
apatrick@csgv.org
202-408-0061 x 1017
(c) 828-712-7603

Milwaukee County sheriff’s appointment to Department of Homeland Security raises questions about NRA-funded Moscow visit

Washington, DC (May 18, 2017) — Yesterday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke announced that he will accept the position of assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. Clarke’s history of incendiary comments and inhumane treatment of inmates already make him a problematic choice, but his ties to Russia make his appointment even more troubling.  

In December 2015, Clarke participated in a National Rifle Association (NRA)-funded trip to Moscow to meet with Russian officials and bankers. As the Trump campaign was gaining steam, Clarke met with several of Putin’s allies, including Aleksander Torshin, the Deputy Head of the Central Bank of Russia.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Media Director Andrew Patrick issued the following statement:

“The Trump-Russia-NRA triangle that is emerging should raise eyebrows. The NRA has repeatedly called themselves Trump’s strongest ally; as David Clarke joins the administration, the NRA’s ties to Russia are becoming clear, as well.”

“At a time when the Trump campaign’s connections to the Kremlin are dominating the conversation in Washington, it is shocking to see the administration bring on yet another person with dubious ties to the Russian government. As the Mueller investigation begins, it is important to ask where Sheriff Clarke and the NRA fit into all this.”

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