Around the country, people are reckoning with the devastating toll of gun violence, begging for legislators to take action. In recent days a potential bipartisan agreement has emerged on some steps to address gun violence, though it still must go through the legislative process. At the same time, Richard Irvin’s megadonor, Ken Griffin, continues to pump millions of dollars into gun and ammunition stocks. During the first quarter of 2022 alone, Griffin’s companies, Citadel and Citadel Securities, increased their firearms-related holdings by a stunning 62%.
Irvin has tried to convince voters he’s a “tough on crime” candidate, but his actions continue to prove otherwise. Irvin is happy to use crime as a talking point, but refuses to acknowledge Griffin’s investments in gun manufacturers. If Irvin were serious about tackling the gun violence epidemic, he would condemn Griffin’s investments in companies that produced one out of every four guns recovered from Chicago homicides in the past five years.
Instead, Irvin has happily collected Griffin’s campaign cash at the expense of public safety. Griffin and Irvin are quick to point the finger and deflect accountability for a problem they’ve helped to create, and they show no signs of changing their behavior any time soon.
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