The National Shooting Sports Foundation is taking Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to task for allegedly misrepresenting a law that grants the gun industry immunity from certain kinds of lawsuits.

At issue is the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which shielded gun manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits seeking to hold them responsible for their firearms turning up in the hands of criminals. Clinton's opponent in the Democratic primary elections, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), voted for passage of the bill, and she has used that vote to try to weaken his support among progressive voters.

Clinton has claimed the law makes the gun industry "wholly protected from any kind of liability." NSSF said that is not true because it only protects the industry from "frivolous lawsuits" like those orchestrated by "President Bill Clinton's White House to put gun companies out of business by seeking to blame them for the actions of criminals who misused firearms."

NSSF noted other industries—such as Internet service providers and vaccine makers—enjoy similar protections under the law. The association also pointed to a 2015 story by the popular news site PolitiFact, which rated Hillary Clinton's claim "false."

"Without the protection against junk lawsuits, such as the PLCAA provides to our industry members, many of America's most critical industries would go out of business from the time and costs of frivolous lawsuits," the group said. "Industries cannot and should not be held legally responsible for the wrong-doings of individuals who purchase their products legally and then proceed to use them illegally." http://bit.ly/1SzJzac

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