The U.S. Olympic shooting organization has been criticized for partnering with a gun auction website that trades Nazi memorabilia, NBC New York reported today.
USA Shooting first announced in September that it was teaming up with Gunbroker.com and some of "the nation's top gun manufacturers" for an ongoing fundraising campaign.
But the move was slammed this week by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which highlighted the site was aiding the sale of controversial items. These included KKK memorabilia, a "genuine concentration camp tunic with shoes," extremist literature and Nazi clothing.
"These are symbols of hate in the worst possible way and in a society that has seen such an amazing uptick in anti-Semitism, companies need to do everything in their power to dial that down," Evan Bernstein, the New York Regional Director of the ADL, told NBC New York in a statement. "This site and those kind of products are ratcheting it up."
The Anti-Defamation League, based in the U.S., campaigns against anti-Semitism.
In response to the report, a USA Shooting spokesperson said: "Our relationship with Gunbroker in no way signifies our approval of these items, just as we don't approve of every item or the editorial on the websites and social media platforms that we use to promote our sport.
"We use Gunbroker.com with a very specific purpose of hosting auctions of donated firearms to raise money for our team and athletes. That is the current partnership arrangement."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Patrick Sandusky, criticized the partnership but declined to say if any action would be taken. "Paraphernalia that celebrates hatred should be rejected in every form," he told NBC New York. "We encourage all members of the movement to demonstrate the Olympic values every day and we are discouraged by this action."
Gunbroker.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is not the first site face to criticism for selling controversial items. Amazon, one of the world's most popular marketplaces, was recently found to be hosting products with ties to white supremacy. It was rebuked for allegedly "taking a cut" of revenue generated from such sales.
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