alan west nra board member
Courtesy theoldschoolpatriot.com

National Rifle Association board member Allen West hasn’t been on board with the public-facing “all is well” approach the NRA board has taken since revelations of mismanagement, overspending and lack of control broke into public view. Following the NRA membership meeting in Indianapolis, he called for a full investigation of allegations.

Now, like the rest of us, he’s read the most recent reports published in a number of mainstream media outlets and is pushing back against characterizations of the situation by new NRA president Carolyn Meadows. He’s has published his own response on his website today.

Meadows has indicated that the board knows all about the issues revealed in the latest document dump and, in effect, everything is under control.

As she was quoted in an article in The Hill,

NRA President Carolyn Meadows told the newspaper in a statement that the “entire board is fully aware of these issues. We have full confidence in Wayne LaPierre.”

“It is troubling and pathetic that some people would resort to leaking information to advance their agendas,”  she added.

West’s fiery post and comments by other board members indicate that isn’t true. Apparently not all of the board’s 76 members have been privy to the details.

This from West:

I am in my second term as a Board member, and I am deeply concerned about the actions and statements being made. The recent statements by Charles Cotton and Carolyn Meadows that are appearing in the Wall Street Journal, and now other news outlets, are outright lies. I have never been told, advised, informed or consulted about any of these details mentioned in the WSJ, and who knows how much more despicable spending of members’ money.

These statements have maliciously, recklessly and purposefully put me, and uninformed Board members, in legal jeopardy.

Regarding LaPierre continuing in his position, West writes . . .

I do not support Wayne LaPierre continuing as the EVP/CEO of the NRA. The vote in Indianapolis was by acclamation, not roll call vote. There is a cabal of cronyism operating within the NRA and that exists within the Board of Directors. It must cease, and I do not care if I draw their angst. My duty and responsibility is to the Members of the National Rifle Association, and my oath, since July 31, 1982, has been to the Constitution of the United States, not to any political party, person, or cabal.

Read the whole thing here.

It seems the old guard members such as Meadows and Cotton who were recently elevated to higher officer positions — members known to be LaPierre supporters — aren’t finding it easy to paper over the latest revelations of insider dealing, cronyism, wild and suspect spending.

 

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86 COMMENTS

  1. Let the revolution begin with Allen West; he’s an objectively good man, and I can think of no better person to kick things off in Virginia.

    • West is a self aggrandizing life long welfare queen. He should have been sent to Leavenworth, not given his retirement and pension.

    • This man needs to run for President. Black, Republican, Pro-gun, Military Vet… and now the NRA. I have said it since I first caught wind of him years and years ago. Dem’s heads explode seeing a black man like this, and that is what this country needs – to realize it’s not about race… not even a little. Obama won because of race, and hillary ran because of gender, two things the dems have demonized throughout the entire history of the US. Now, the only thing that could be better, was if Allen West was a black female. The left would have nothing… left. They would consider that person a “traitor” and that is the only argument that would have. What good is it to make every issue about these things when there are MILLIONS of examples that do not make their arguments factual? What we need, is the biggest example – sitting at the oval office. In yo face, dems.

      • Look what happened to Herman Cain and Dr. Ben Carson the media hates blacks who aren’t leftists it’s why I would never consider going into politics.

  3. “NRA President Carolyn Meadows told the newspaper in a statement that the “entire board is fully aware of these issues. We have full confidence in Wayne LaPierre.”

    “It is troubling and pathetic that some people would resort to leaking information to advance their agendas,” she added.”

    Notice she didn’t claim any of the leaked information was inaccurate.

    I’ll “bullet vote” for Alan West next time he’s on the ballot. At least someone is trying to do the right thing here.

    • I wish more people understood bullet voting and how it works. We might have gotten Alan Kraut on the board. Allen West seems to be one of the few celebrity directors with some integrity.

      • I bullet voted Adam Kraut both times he ran. My understanding is that only a fraction of eligible members vote in the BOD elections.

        • Please explain bullet voting. I was under the impression that I had no voice other than letter writing.

          • You must understand how NRA voting works. You get to cast many votes; say 2 dozen. So, since each vote is free it’s your inclination to cast as many as you can. So, you go through the list of names and vote for all the names you recognize – celebrities who were named candidates by the nominating committee. Soon you exhaust your list of recognizable names at a dozen or so; or, you reach your maximum of – say – 2 dozen. So, now you stop.

            What happens to a very worthy candidate who wasn’t nominated by the nominating committee. If you don’t pay close attention to the boards you won’t recognize his name. He gets a few votes from well-informed critical members; but never enough to be among the top vote getters. So, he never makes it to the board.

            If you “bullet-vote” you vote ONLY for this one very worthy candidate. (Or, possibly, a very few – say 3 or 6 worthy candidates). You just saved the other 11 or 23 votes you did NOT cast for celebrities.

            Your effort alone will make no difference. ONLY if the vast majority of members REFRAINED from casting 12 to 24 votes for celebrities (who owe their allegiance to the nominating committee) would the TOTAL number of votes cast be substantially reduced. In such a scenario, a very worthy candidate would have a chance of winning enough votes to be among the top vote-getters.

            Only about 6% of eligible NRA members bother to vote. Most of these waste their votes on celebrity candidates. NRA designed this system to ensure that the insiders could retain control. Those on the inside pick the members of the nominating committee. The committee nominates celebrities who will remain loyal to the nominating committee. Members vote for the celebrities en masse ensuring that no one running on petition will ever earn enough votes to win a seat. Even if it were to happen, such an interloper would be just one vote in a massively outnumbered board of celebrities who know who butters their bread.

            I think that the scheme for electing board members needs reform. My thought is to make board seats proportional to “divisional” membership. Members would subscribe to a division such as hunting, marksmanship, training, judicial action, lobbying, etc. As hunting declines membership would shift toward lobbying (or whatever). There would be fewer hunters on the board and more political activists. Hunter-members would vote for the hunter candidates; political-activists-members would vote for the lobbying candidates. The board would represent the weight of the interest-groups of the membership; and, the board members representing these interest-groups would have to win the trust of these respective members.

        • As I understand it, “bullet voting” is voting for one person out of the entire list of potential BOD candidates. Normally, you can vote for multiple candidates, but it waters things down. Instead, you vote for only one. That way no one else gets your support. It’s your way of saying “I want this guy on the BOD. I don’t care about the rest of them.” I’m probably not explaining it as best as I could.

        • Per MarkPA… Looks like the NRA has already done what DEMS are trying to do to national elections…. STACK THE DECK and misinform and confuse voters to where they don’t understand their options or what effect they can have. They should do to the NRA the same thing that needs to be done to Congress… TERM LIMITS and add some serious book keeping verification by a reputable Auditor NOT selected by the BoD, since that’s the same as letting a felon pick his judge…. Do it NOW bwfore 5 million members smell the stench coming from the top of the (garbage) heap. BTW, if the gal in the apt is Wayne’s stash make him REPAEY EVERY PENNY SPENT ON HER. His EX will do the rest.

  5. Although I support the public stance of the NRA over the last few years — it sounds like there have been abuses of our money being spent by those in power at the NRA. I trust Alan West as I’ve always known him to be a straight shooter and I think this is pointing to the need for a house cleaning!

    • Dittos.
      Learned a lot about Mr. West when he ran for political office and when he ran for the board.
      He has honor.

      • He needs to run for pres. It’s about that time too… the only problem is the republicans might be scared of him ACTUALLY being president.

        • That and the media will figure put a way to discredit him like they did to Herman Cain and Dr. Ben Carson.

  6. West has always struck me as a guy who calls it like he sees it and does what needs to be done.

    Maybe that’s why the Army canned him for something that he (allegedly) did that would have gotten some CIA guy a promotion.

    • I think Allen was railroaded because he, like Oliver North, was The Expendable One who was sacrificed to protect the guilty parties above him. Sorta like Obummer getting a free pass on the Fast and Furious SCAM that got innocent civilians killed. Sickening how CORRUPT the American Government has become in the past 40 to 50 years. Hang-em high!

  7. Which beckons the question as to which other NRA Board Members have been or still are Double Dipping from the NRA Piggy Bank (NRA Members Dues)…

    • “Which beckons the question as to which other NRA Board Members have been or still are Double Dipping…”

      “Leslie”, this time, isn’t it?

      What is this strange fascination you have with multiple ‘dipping’ of different user names here in TTAG, “http://[email protected]”?

  9. Wayne gotta go. This isn’t exactly news. I just wish they’d get a public face that wasn’t ideologically tied to the republican party.

    Granted, in our completely tribal America, anyone they’d get is likely going to be a conservative republican, but at some point we have to start pulling the democrats back in. The position should be held by someone that the left could at least not hate outta the box.

    Democrats own guns too and the 2nd amendment should (repeat SHOULD) not be an ideological fight.

    Its truly sad that it has become so.

    • 2A should be an ideological fight. It shouldn’t be a partisan fight. It’s the idea that everyone should be able to defend themselves and that the right to do such is something we can not leave in the hands of government for a lot of reasons.

      It’s one of the reasons that it bothers me when I see people here attack others of specific demographics save ones around criminality. They’re indeed people we need to ally with us. Although this will be an eternal battle, it will be far easier for us if the “traditionally oppressed” groups who keep getting told that they need to rely on government for their safety realize that the government does a pretty poor job of it (and in some cases actually compromises it) and they need to do it for themselves.

  10. We must lay the blame where it belongs. The Board of Directors runs the organization. It is the Board and the Board alone that is responsible for the success or failure of the organization.

    For the sake of argument, give WLP the benefit of the doubt. Suppose he is the most capable man for the job; and, he needs a proper suit of clothing (as did Samuel Adams). Nevertheless, at this point, the membership has (mistakenly we’ll presume) lost faith in this best-man; we shall have to settle for the second-best man/woman for the job. With this (supposed) lightning rod out of the way the organization will have the opportunity to rebuild the faith of American gun owners.

    Then, the membership could double without the expense of marketing wine and trucks to keep the cash flowing. Double the dues at half the fund-raising expense, there would be ever more money to spend defending the 2A; even if the new EVP had double the wardrobe budget of WLP.

    No matter how much NRA’s managers attempt to spin their stewardship, gun-owners are a skeptical and critical lot. They are just not going to buy into the assumptions I’ve invited readers to consider (for the sake of argument).

    NRA’s value is not entirely vested in one man – the EVP. Nor is it vested in his loyalist board members. NRA’s value is in: it’s 1871 charter; its acronym; it’s lobbyists’ skills and connections; it’s membership rolls; and it’s hard working staff. All these will survive a reformation of the executive suite and board ranks. And, all of this will be lost in a dissolution of the organization on the eve of the 2020 elections; a time when we can not afford to lose the only President in our memories who has turned SCOTUS in our direction. A time when we can not afford to lose a controlling majority in the US Senate.

    NRA’s membership is NOT loyal to WLP; it’s loyal to the NRA as an organization. If this statement is valid then it is time for WLP to retire.

    • my sentiments also we all know the left has tried to destroy the NRA for a while listening to the press and taking it at base truth. come on folks what the h… are we doing. the great stupid govenator of nys the blooming wanta bee is a joke no democracy here just like the gestapo of Nazi Germany you do as I say !! and like it !! silverman Bloomberg and cuooomo now that’s a trio of garbage

    • Absolutely. Well said.

      LaPierre needs to go, like yesterday. So too does most of the board of directors, if not all. I don’t give a single wet fart about any of them. Not even Karl Malone and Tom Selleck, although I’ve always enjoyed watching them and they seem like decent people.

      What I do care about is the mission of the NRA and what it is supposed to do for Second Amendment rights.

      Collectively, those people all shat the bed. A healthy, properly functioning NRA is worth more to ALL of us than any of them ever were. Heads have got to roll. I don’t care which, as long as they just right the damn ship.

      • ‘If you Like your NRA, you can Keep your NRA! (we just want to have a collapse of confidence and removal of the current team who We, .. err I mean The .. Gun-Grabbers most despise.)’

      • I wonder if those of us on TTAG’s site, can, without causing ourselves any problems, list those people we want to ” bullet vote ” for in the next election…..IF this current situation doesn’t resolve itself by WLP finally deciding to do what is best for the NRA, and withdraws from his position. Of course, as time progresses and more of the facts become known, he may become the object of a lawsuit which would also serve the same purpose.

        I stated previously that I think he could possibly be eligible for a malfeasance lawsuit, and if the details of his kept broad with her floaty device are exposed; that might be the straw that breaks the camels back.

        There is usually a couple of months from the time when we receive our magazines with the voting for board members information, and we could post those we “LIKE, ” which would not be the same as telling someone who to vote for, as that would be illegal. At least, if a consensus of opinion of those we feel should be on the board were listed as ” suggestions,” it would be better than everyone choosing random others which would dilute the votes for the ones we want to see elected. IDK………….

        • I agree that something along the lines of “bullet voting” must be done. Problem is, I don’t know how to cure this from the bottom up. (I fear it will be fixed only from the top down; and that’s not likely.)

          Those of us who read TTAG are about the most awakened PotG. I imagine that the typical NRA member who votes remains uninformed about NRA politics, internal operations, and how the voting system is rigged to keep the “made men” of the board on the board. Thus, reaching out to the existing voters is a really tough road to travel.

          Perhaps it would make more sense to go after awakened PotG who could vote but don’t. Only 6% of eligible voters bother to vote. Suppose among the 94% who don’t vote we could inspire 12% or 24% to bullet-vote. These votes for 1 or 2 or 3 candidates could dilute the mass voting for celebrities and begin to shift control of the board.

          Still, if the cattle continue to vote for two dozen celebrities while these voters are outnumbered by bullet voters voting for only 1 – 2 – 3 candidates, the former will still cast the majority of votes.

          • Perhaps, as the current situation with the NRA becomes more widely known, others will be willing to educate themselves on what they can do to remedy the problem. After all, I think most gun owners want to preserve the 2nd amendment, and many of them have stated that the reason they are dropping their membership in the NRA, is because of the way things are being handled. Many have stated their main objection is WLP, plus his sheep -following cronies. Others have stated they do not like how their dues money is being spent. A change in the BoD would help this matter, but WLP has to be removed first….PERIOD !

            Maybe one way that we can get the word to others on how best to achieve our goal of making the NRA into the organization which defends our rights, instead of giving them away, is to enlist people who have access to the gun-owning public, such as writers in gun oriented magazines and hunting magazines. After all, if we lose our ability to own firearms, they will be out of a job.

            In the meantime, we, ourselves, need to more carefully study those who will be vying for a position on the BoD next year, so that when next year rolls around, we are knowledgeable about the people who will be most supportive of our goal.

            I am going to contact Jeff Knox, whose father, Neal, helped spearhead the previous revolt of members who were also fed up with the way the NRA was being run; and see if, perhaps, he will offer any suggestions he might have, here. It is going to take a concerted effort to accomplish what we want, but I believe it can be done.

            I still believe the best way to remove WLP, would be a MALFEASANCE LAWSUIT, and perhaps that will be possible as more information about spending of funds becomes common knowledge.

            • WLP’s tenure is at the pleasure of the BoD and the State of NY. I find it hard to imagine that this combination is compatible with his long term future as head of NRA.

              I’d like to see a neutral panel to assemble biographies of the candidates for board seats. We know who will be up for re-election in the forthcoming Spring. Panelists could start work on these after each election under the presumption that most will be re-nominated for another term in 10 months. (One or two might drop out; small loss of effort.) The nominating committee will name few new candidates, so these will have to be rushed through in a couple of months between the nomination and balloting. One or two might be nominated by petition and these would be a rush job.

              What we need is a review of their attendance at BoD meetings and public appearances. Perhaps a celebrity regularly appears in public debate, which counts for something. In many cases, the bio will reveal the candidate to be a has-been who isn’t active at Board meetings or in the public eye. He may have been an outstanding sniper; but if now blind and bed-ridden he isn’t doing the work of the BoD.

              I’d also like to see “red/blue” teams present the pro/con arguments for electing each candidate. If the “pro” argument boils down to “he’s a good o’l boy” then we don’t need him. If the “anti” argument is that he isn’t effective either inside or outside the Board room then that should be known.

              Tragically, the situation has deteriorated to the point that the “revolutionaries” have abandoned camp. You must either have paid your dues for 5 consecutive years or bought a life-time membership. I imagine that the revolutionaries mostly paid their dues for a few years – or many years but non-consecutively – and have now dropped-out. Here’s the argument we have to make to these guys: ‘We need you now. You must buy a life-time membership and vote every year. In another 5 – 10 years we can all make change happen together.’ Tough sell; these guys who left were unwilling to pay $35 for the forthcoming year; and now we are asking them to cough-up $600 for the chance to see an impact in the distant future?

              I imagine a better audience would be life-time and long-term members who just haven’t paid enough attention to vote. The life-time members have already paid and we aren’t asking them to pay another dime. The long-term annual members have clocked their 5 years and only have to pay another $35 to be able to vote next year.

              Our problem is – I think – the long-term passive member who just hasn’t been paying attention. He believes in the right to arms and the importance of a strong national organization. But, he doesn’t have the time to pay attention; and, NRA politics are really hard to follow without a major time investment.

              Suppose we could tell our passive NRA buddies to go look at “Right-the-NRA.Org” and read-up about the criticisms of the internal operations and the board. Suppose they could see bios of the candidates that told them which are part of the problem and which might promise a solution.

          • I think what we must do is encourage eligible members who have not bothered to vote in the past, just how important it is for them to vote in the next election. They also should be told how to bullet vote, so that we can get members on the board who actually have the defense of the 2nd amendment as their top priority.

            We need to have rallying sites, such as TTAG, where gun owners can come to strategize on ways we can counter attacks on our 2nd amendment. Let’s face facts…..we are in a war on two fronts; from within the NRA itself, whose board members do not seem to have OUR best interests at heart, AND from the Dumbocratic party. Just look at the current list of candidates who have already declared as running for President. God help us if a Democrat wins the next election. There are too many people who are PISSED OFF at Trump to absolutely say it can’t happen.

            About all it will take is for another fame-seeking scumbag to shoot a group of people again, and we will lose even more of our rights, if not all of them. Look at those people who we previously thought were on our side, who have passed legislation within this past year taking away some of our freedoms. We need a strong membership and BoD who is behind us 100 % to avoid any further erosion.

            The NRA needs to join with the other pro-gun groups to fight against the people who are attacking us. I’m not saying they should all become one homogeneous group; rather if one group is fighting an attack that one of the other pro-gun organizations have been successful in defeating; how they accomplished it should be shared freely. There is strength in numbers. United we stand, divided we fall.

            We need to get all the members who are eligible, to vote; and we need to teach the importance of bullet voting, and how it can be used to, hopefully, turn the NRA back onto the objective of defending our 2nd amendment.

            I have been a BENEFACTOR member for 20-25 years. One thing that really upsets me, and shows the stupidity and mis-management of the NRA is this….When I made my moves to upgrade, it was possible to make PAYMENTS on the fees. As far as I know, that is still possible. Other than acknowledgement of the change in status, it does not cost the NRA any more to mail the monthly magazine, than it does for an annual member. However, the incoming funds are increased. I wonder how many members would have increased the level of their membership, if they had known it was possible to do so in payments. ( Excluding the current situation. )

    • EVP runs the Association, BOD just sets the policy and warehouses the old guard. Do we really need 76 directors?

      • “EVP runs the Association, BOD just sets the policy and warehouses the old guard. Do we really need 76 directors?”

        Yes, it’s true that in NRA the EVP runs the association as a practical matter. The work of the organization must run from day to day while the BoD meets only 3 times a year (IIRC).

        Nevertheless, the BoD is responsible. It can not deny responsibility for supervising the EVP or its own committees. It’s not obliged to stick its nose in the day to day affairs of the employees between board meetings. It IS obliged to take stock of what is going on and respond where there is evidence of something occuring that ought not to occur (or not happening that should be happening). It need not take action at the board meeting at which the first whiff of malfeasance wafts across the table. Still, it is obliged to take action promptly in accordance with the urgency of the problem.

        The BoD of NRA has been derelict in its duties to supervise the operations of the association. Of this, there is little doubt in the minds of far too many members to dismiss.

        I agree that the board of 76 members is so large that it could not be made to be effective under any circumstances. I would immediately half the size of the board; and then consider cutting it down to 1/4 its current size.

        But far more important is the objective of seeing to it that each person occupying a seat serves a USEFUL purpose. We can afford a celebrity or two; but no more. And, that celebrity must contribute meaningfully. We can afford to have several members who have achieved prominence in the gun community due to their efforts to promote some interest such as hunting, marksmanship or training. Still, these members must carry out their fiduciary responsibilities. They must not serve simply as figureheads representing some gun tradition. They are not on the board to spin yarns about great hunting trophies or outstanding tight groupings.

        NRA began as a marksmanship organization; but that might not be the most important issue to carry forward today. CMP might fill this need. NRA was for a long time a hunter’s organization; but that might not be most important today; there are conservation organizations that might fill this need. Training has always been important, and will continue to be important in the future. But only if any right to keep and bear arms survives.

        What SHOULD NRA’s mission be today and for the next 10 years? Looking ahead, what should it be for the 2040’s, 2050’s, 2060’s? The mix of issues important to guns in Americans’ hands will evolve; and NRA’s emphasis must evolve accordingly.

        Tragically, I am convinced YOU were CORRECT in saying that “BOD just . . . warehouses the old guard”; moreover, that it “sets the policy” of NRA to warehouse the old guard. And it is precisely this policy that the BoD must abandon; whereupon, most should retire.

  12. I suspect that WLP’s Security (i.e. Body Guards), Air and Road Transportation and Travel Lodging are all paid for by the NRA. So I find it rather difficult to believe that WLP can’t live on ~$1 million per year…

    • In 2015 he was paid over $1m salary + $3.7m required payout from his retirement plan. So he was paid $5m in one year, and he’s so greedy that he still expenses his royalty lifestyle to the NRA (donors).

      • So if WLP is supposedly “Retired”, then what’s the problem. Unless there’s additional Peks associated with his Retirement Package. That hasn’t surfaced yet…

        • He isn’t retired. It’s an IRA rule that you have to start withdrawing a minimum amount each year once you reach a certain age so some of the balance can be taxed.

        • Individual Retirement Account (IRA) rule. Since you aren’t taxed on your contributions up to a certain point, the IRS won’t let you keep your money in there forever. Usually you have to begin withdrawing a small percentage at a certain age, and the percentage increases as you get older.

          They are saying, well he was forced to take the $3.7m payout from the retirement account. If that’s the small percentage he was required to withdraw in one year, then I would like to know what the account balance is.

  14. Go West young man…I support Mr. West. As of now I don’t intend to re-up my NRA membership next year. None of this BS should even be whispered…

  15. I trust Allen West over Wayne Lapierre, and honestly with all of the negative publicity that the NRA has received over the last few years it is time for a little restructuring. And Carolyn Meadows is not the answer to the NRA’s problems

  16. Just read the introduction to the republished autobiography by Booker T. Washington, “Up From Slavery” that Allen West wrote. WOW !!! Very impressive and well stated. Not only does Mr. West speak plainly and truthfully about second amendment issues, he also speaks this way about issues involving problems in the black community. Everyone should read his introduction. I read it in the “Look Inside” preview window on Amazon. Mr. West’s introduction tells you a lot about his thinking and his ideals. Mr. West, or at least someone like him, should be LaPierre’s replacement.

    I also want to read Mr. Washington’s book, as it sounds very inspirational. Born a slave and later the founder of the Tuskegee Institute, it is quite a story. It would be unbelievable if it was fiction, but it’s a true story, in his own words.

  17. I suggest that TruthAboutGuns, together with some of the other most popular gun blog sites, request an article from Mr. West addressing what the most effective ways for us, as concerned gun owners and NRA members, to assist in cleaning up this mess. Yes, I can write a letter or letters, but do they accomplish anything or are they just ignored? I thought about quitting the NRA, but I’m concerned that will only weaken honest, concerned board members, like Mr West, who want to do something about the problem. Could he or a group he heads set up a legal escrow account to hold our dues in until action is taken? Maybe a separate escrow account to hold donations for political action? (- I know the two have to be kept separate). Other ideas, preferably some ideas with “teeth” in them that can “bite” the powers that be?

    Dear Mr West: Please pen an open letter to concerned gun owners about actions we can take, “A call to arms”, as it were, to member to reclaim the NRA! Dear all gun blogs: publish and promote it.

  19. I’m suspicious. West and Oliver North are both big deep state veterans. I don’t know that I trust them.

  20. If LTC West will accept the position, I think he should replace LaPierre as the EVP/CEO of the NRA. I would support him and I think he would do a world of good in restructuring and reinvigorating the NRA.

  21. It’s obvious from reading all the comments on this site and others that the membership is not happy with current leadership and is ready for a change. New, fresh faces and ideas are necessary in a changing anti-gun environment. I have grown tired of celebrity board members and figurehead presidents (sorry Ollie). This is a tough time for gun owners and we need the best to use our money wisely to keep our rights. Also, we as members need to be active and involved and call out poor performance as it is indicated. We are the MSM of the gun world and should expose waste fraud and corruption when we see it.

  22. If you are an NRA member (as I am), were you aware of the flux in the organization? Was it ever so much as mentioned in an NRA publication? Were there denials of financial mismanagement in response to published reports of them? Do you trust Wayne LaPierre and not Allen West, a man whose integrity is amply demonstrated and unquestionable?

    If the answer to any of these questions is “Nope!”, then it’s high time that the members are apprised of the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Let the sun shine in on how the money is spent and by whom. If it has all been on the up-and-up, fine. If not, the people who have abused our trust need to go.

  23. I agree with Allen West that something seems amiss at The NRA. Being a faithful member, a GoldenEagle since it’s inception also Bullet Vote and shall do so for LTC. West. LTC Oliver North is no ones fool. If he felt something was not right about Wayne LaPierres’ use of Membership funds then there must be some slight of hand going on. Charges as made should be investigated by an Independent Audit of the funds and how ALL are being spent.
    You bet, I’d vote for Ollie and LTC.West again!

  24. “The vote in Indianapolis was by acclamation”

    That’s nice. How does that change him being “unanimously” reelected? The way votes are submitted doesn’t change the non-existence of a “no”, and you don’t challenge the factuality the claim to unanimity.

    • Sounds like the federal government saying ” just shut up and write the check “.

  25. I’m a NRA Life Member but I’m putting my gun support funds towards GOA until such time as LaPierre leaves the organization.

    • What do you know about GOA? I have requested a list of their BoD and their bylaws and have never received a response to my actual questions. Have you seen their financials? I don’t know enough about them to give them money.

      I am a Life Member of the NRA, 2ndAF, ISRA, and GSL as well as related interest organizations like SASS, CMSA, and others. I would support GOA if I could learn enough about them to feel it would be money well invested. They just won’t answer critical questions at least for me.

  26. There needs to be a change. Next year I’ll be rethinking renewing my membership, we don’t need our dues being squandered away when we expect the monies to be spent supporting 2A.

  27. Ever since these stories surfaced and the reports of bankruptcy surfaced about 18 months ago, I have been doubting everything coming out by the leadership or the NRA talking heads. This especially true of all the urgent requests for contributions which are lounging in the local trash dump.
    The basic concept of the organization has been tainted by the current leadership and certain board members, they should all be terminated and investigated and made to pay for their crimes.

  28. We don’t need a revolution, we need a coming together. United we stand, divided we will fall. Even if the left doesn’t win on gun control they WIll be a constant PIA!! And don’t ever let me hear of somebody voting Democratic to punish a Republican, EVER!

  29. I support Allen West. I totally support what he did during war time. He is the leader that this country needs. And the NRA needs. Most of you have no idea what it took to win WW2. Or any war.

    LT. COL. WEST FINED $5,000
    Avoids court martial for using shock tactics to save lives

    https://www.wnd.com/2003/12/22287/

    • While some of you probably will not agree with me, here is a short list of people that I feel needs to be installed as people running the NRA.
      1. Allen West
      2. Adam Kraut
      3. Ollie North……because he saw the corruption, and tried to do something about it
      4. Richard Childress…Who, like Ollie, also did not like the stench; and tried to withdraw from the Board in support of what Ollie was trying to accomplish
      5. Colion Noir…. He’s a strong 2nd amendment supporter, and possibly could be a big help in gaining new members

      As I said, I’m sure there are those who will not agree with my suggestions, but I feel that these people are one helluva lot better than some of the current board members. Feel free to add your own ideas ………………

  30. I would be honored to become an NRA member and what it stands for, “if” I were confidant that the funds of the membership were used for what they are intended. So similar to our Federal Govt. “IMHO”, I believe that massive amounts of money are being “wasted” on things that are not relevant to the NRA, and that many people are getting rich for doing little to nothing for our 2A rights. Please clean your house. Also, I believe that Allen West is the man to lead. High morals, integrity, motivated and very intelligent. But I won’t spend a nickel on an organization that I can’t fully trust. Again, clean the house! Make me want to join.

    • STAY TUNED …. I think that after the fallout has settled from what is going to happen as a result of these revelations of corruptness and mis management by WLP and members of the BoD, there will be a huge change of members on the BoD, and thus, the leadership of the NRA. We can only hope so.

      We, who are currently members, and have the ability to vote in the next election, need to make sure, that instead of voting for as many people as was possible, as I am sure many people have done in the past; but instead , we need to “bullet vote” for ONLY those ones who we feel will most aggressively defend and support the NRA and the 2nd amendment. For anyone who does not know how to “bullet vote'”, I’m sure it will be discussed many times in the future on this site, and just how important it is if we are going to get the NRA back on course and protect out 2nd amendment rights like we are expecting them to.

      • Frankly I don’t see that happening, just because the way the current rules are written within the NRA. And the only way I can see a Rule Change is by a sudden and abrupt Drop Off of Membership that will Force a Rule Change. Until that happens, the Changing of the Guard is still within the current rules of the NRA…

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