The growing turmoil within the NRA is no secret. It bubbled up into the mainstream media and began to boil over at the annual membership meeting in Indianapolis (though a lid was quickly put on that pot to keep the matter among board members and officers).
If you need to catch up, read this, this and this.
In short, a battle took place within the NRA over spending. Longtime marketing and PR firm Ackerman-McQueen had billed the organization for tens of millions of dollars over the years. When factions within the NRA tried to account for that spending, Ack-Mac wouldn’t or couldn’t provide details.
That resulted in an unprecedented lawsuit filed against Ackerman by the NRA.
In the run-up to the Indianapolis annual meetings, efforts were made to also account for the huge amounts paid to attorney William Brewer and his firm. Brewer is representing the NRA in litigation against the state of New York in connection with the NRA’s Carry Guard insurance program (that suit was dealt a setback yesterday).
We found out that on the eve of The Indianapolis meetings, NRA President Oliver North and other board members and large contributors confronted EVP and CEO Wayne LaPierre and asked for his resignation. They reportedly threatened to reveal embarrassing information about LaPierre if he didn’t step down.
LaPierre refused and responded with a fiery letter to the board. North resigned.
Sure enough, not long after North’s departure, details of excessive spending by LaPierre on clothing and travel came out and were reported in the mainstream media, along with more allegations of self-dealing, lack of internal controls and wild over-spending.
Why would LaPierre funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in clothing and travel expenses through Ack-Mac? The only answer that comes to mind is he wanted to launder them through the PR company’s billings in order to charge them to the NRA without detail. If there’s another legitimate explanation, we haven’t heard it.
Now a number of additional relevant documents have leaked (see below), including correspondence from North expressing the need to hire an outside counsel to investigate the huge legal fees being paid to Brewer’s firm as part of the board’s fiduciary duty to its membership.
Keep in mind two things: 1) though he was President of the NRA, North’s salary was paid by Ackerman McQueen, and 2) Brewer, the outside attorney (who filed the lawsuit against Ackerman), is married to the daughter Angus McQueen, co-CEO of Ack-Mac.
A number of observers, NRA members and others, have dismissed these reports published by outlets like The New Yorker and Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun propaganda outlet, The Trace. They claim that this is all just a targeted hit job against America’s oldest civil rights organization.
While those two publications and others no doubt relish these chances to land punches, that doesn’t mean the NRA doesn’t actually have very serious financial and managerial problems that need to be addressed with all possible speed.
As we’ve said before, the defense and preservation of gun rights in this country is served by a strong, influential National Rifle Association. But judging by conversations we’ve had with people who know, as well as media reports, the NRA has gotten itself into a precarious situation through years (decades?) of questionable spending, sweetheart deals, cronyism and a disturbing lack of managerial control and board oversight over basic operations.
The NRA is now facing investigations by the New York State Attorney General and possibly the IRS which could jeopardize its non-profit status.
Either the NRA will clean its own house or its house will be cleaned for them by outside actors who are less than sympathetic to the organization or its ostensible goals. That cleaning process has to start with the board’s audit and finance committees exerting control and oversight as their fiduciary duty demands.
The efforts made at the NRAAM to air some of this and get people in place who are willing to deal with these problems were beaten back by LaPierre and his board allies. The new slate of officers running the operation is seen as still more LaPierre lieutenants and supporters and anything but reformers.
That leads observers to conclude that any changes made to the operation aren’t going to originate from within the NRA. And that’s very bad news for the membership and the right to keep and bear arms in this country.
> Ack-Mac wouldn’t or couldn’t provide details.
Liars lie. And if the NRA is guilty, bring it out in the open. Stop covering it up as if it helps our cause. And if the NRA is guilty, why? As a project manager for a Fortune 100 company, I’m used to dealing with millions of dollars a year. I have to account for every single dollar I authorize and spend. Is the NRA a criminal organization?
The Ack-Mac issue needed to be ‘addressed with all possible speed’ back in 1996 when the board ordered Wayne to fire Ack-Mac, and instead Ack-Mac set up a new subsidiary with the same employees who’d been servicing the NRA account, and Wayne immediately hired Ack-Mac’s subsidiary to ‘replace’ Ack-Mac.
The obvious way of addressing it would have been to fire Wayne and fire the relabeled Ack-Mac.
But Queen Marion stopped that from happening.
Perhaps that explains why the NRA, under Wayne’s leadership, still pays her $250-300k a year for ‘consulting’.
If your ” Gun Rights ” organization is pushing ‘ Wine Club ‘ memberships , they ( and you ) are doing it wrong.
No More ….. ” Stand back and let ‘ US ‘ , the NRA handle all negotations ”
No More …… ” We have decided to not FIGHT this or that case in court ”
Gun Owners of America has kept true to the CORE Mission , that’s why it is growing by leaps and bounds.
NO MORE COMPROMISE
I was done with Wayne in 1997. The entire operation was starting to STINK, so I let my multi-year membership expire and started supporting GOA and NAGR…. Glad I did as all I’ve seen from the NRA in a long while is them taking credit for the work of others and getting VERY GOOD at advertising for more MONEY from the “rank and file”. If they had put all that effort into DEFEATING SOCIALISTS I’m thinking AOC and the others would NOT be there at all… America would have been a better place, period. I hope they can find proof of financial perfidity and deal appropriately with them so that the NRA can get back on course and get on with the mission that 5 million members ENTRUSTED TO THEM…. While they’re at it I hope they can wipe the smirk off Wayne’s face….. Finally!
NAGR? Sorry, Dudley, but that sales pitch doesn’t work anymore; way too many gun owners are onto your scammy “gun rights” organization. Pretty ballsy to peddle it in an article about NRA corruption, though.
Vote for ADAM KRAUT! (next year)
Unfortunately even good representatives can stay too long.
This is going to be a long struggle to route “enemies foreign & domestic.”
Anybody here see LaPierre and think, “there is an honorable advocate for our rights”? I think it was quite obvious from the beginning what he was, but once people get to conventions they succumb to a mob like mentality and prefer to fall in line with a “winner”. I went to a Republican state convention as a delegate once and it was so disgusting that I got out of politics altogether. I couldn’t take enough showers. The people who usually rise to the top of these things are the worst of the worst.
Well, you know the old saying: Shit floats to the top. Its certainly true in virtually all human endeavors. Power corrupts, and no matter how good someone’s intentions might have been, those good intentions turn into evil deeds once they taste power.
That’s the whole reason the US was set up with the separation of powers into the three branches, to try and keep the evil in check. And it worked…. for a while. But by the mid 1800s it was already failing, and what we see today in DC is the result. Evil running rampant.
But this too must pass. Its just the same 8 stages of all civilizations that I post regularly. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3480092/posts
When the evil gets this out of control, sooner or later the sheeple wake up, get some courage from spiritual growth, and throw off the chains, gaining their liberty. But liberty leads directly to abundance and that(so far) leads to people getting spoiled rotten, stupid, apathetic, dependent, and back around to slavery for another lap.
I see no reason it needs to be that way. There is a way off of this stupid track, and it’s right there at abundance. All the others follow naturally, but I see no reason for letting abundance make one spoiled and stupid. We can get off any time we want, but it requires humans to address their own failings, which is the last thing most want to do.
Most much prefer washing the outside of their cups and plates, so they can impress the neighbors. Only a rare few ever bother to clean the inside, which is the only thing that really matters. To get off the track, mankind needs to wise up and start paying attention, even when life is easy. When everyone has abundance and are happy, that’s when evil starts to poke around, looking for a crack in the tent that he can get his nose under.
Every civilization turns their backs on God when abundance comes around…. “Look what WE did….” goes all the way back to Cain and Able, when murder came into the world because MAN wanted to be equal to God. Even before that Satan was cast out of Heaven because he thought his throne should be EQUAL to God’s. It’s the same old story, absolute Power corrupts absolutely. Want to blame someone blame the Board, because they ALLOWED themselves to be seduced into NOT doing their Due Diligence for decades( ? ) and we now see the results of that Folly. Only real question is….. “Will it destroy the NRA?” and if so WHO can step up their game to take up the slack? Hmm
I have seen similar developments once in a professional organization, where nothing was too good or expensive for the Executive Director or his inner circle. This was also a situation where the individual had been there too long. In the case of the NRA my only recourse is to divert donations to other groups and hope NRA survives.
For a non-profit to be unable to explain millions of dollars in expenses, in detail, is evidence of corruption. Comparing the NRA’s fiscal accountability to for-profit industry, the NRA looks like it is being run by thieving scum.
Can anyone tell me who is Megan Allen and why is the NRA paying for an apartment at $4,500/month?
LaPierre’s been living like a king for a long time. That means all executives and accountants within the NRA have to go for them to have any credibility going forward.
This is Megan Allen. As to why Wayne LaPierre ordered Ack Mac to lease an apartment for this young woman (to the tune of $4500 per month), that will require further investigation.
https://scontent.find1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/36534382_10212158554382255_6667737002470801408_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent.find1-1.fna&oh=5435b6c4bd8be783935bf4603f92b21a&oe=5D720C1E
Perhaps Wayne LaPierre rescued this young woman from being homeless?
I hear “Moving in Stereo” playing…
Hmmm…
Before I stopped donating did I help pay for the pool, the flamingo, Ms. Allen’s questionable services, or all of the above??? BTW: Her Linked-in profile is worth looking up for verification.
Looks like a bunch of greedy parasites are on a spending spree. Many people like myself have given what we can afford to help the NRA fight for our second amendment rights and in return we get ripped off. This situation should be resolved from the inside and not swept under the rug as in the past. The liberals will have fun with this and it may very well be the demise of an important organization. All of my requests for donations by them will be thrown away until this is corrected and we are reimbursed by the thieves. Disgusting.
And as you abandon the corrupt NRA, don’t forget to join the GOA and the 2ndAF. Those still fight FOR gun owners, instead of for a hundred thousand dollars worth of clothing per year, and many millions more in cash. At least, those orgs do RIGHT NOW. But power corrupts, and they need watching for signs of corruption also.
Its a lot easier to get the camel’s nose out of your tent when it first shows up, rather than waiting until he’s taken over and is sleeping in your bed before addressing the problem. A problem ignored is a problem that grows ever bigger and bigger. That’s another life lesson that the sheeple cannot seem to comprehend. If they did, the NRA would never have gotten so out of hand in the first place.
Its easy for the GOA and such to stay honest now. They’re still small. But if the NRA folds and they see millions of new members, and all those millions just shower upon them? Will they STAY honest then? Your guess is as good as mine. But at least I will be watching them, as I have been since I joined them in circa 1979. So that’s at least one. I haven’t caught them with their fingers in the till yet.
Not YET… but I still watch.
‘And as you abandon the corrupt NRA, don’t forget to join the GOA and the 2ndAF. Those still fight FOR gun owners . . .” And what, pray tell, have these two august organizations actually accomplished? More specifically, what have the accomplished compared to the “corrupt” NRA’s record? Can they, for instance, influence the outcome of elections with their 5 million plus members?
Last I heard they had 2.5m members.
The whole old man’s argument is that the GOA has no track record compared to the NRA. Well, the NRA has been around since 1871, of course they would have done more. Second, gun owners will still vote against gun grabbers regardless of the NRA disappearing, they won’t change because the NRA doesn’t exist. Lastly, the NRA focuses on old white men, which means eventually those people will disappear and the NRA will have to change to survive; so changing now is better than changing in 10-20 years.
If you wait 20 years to change all the NRA leadership and most of the older members will be dead. The youth will then be handed a clusterfuck to hot potato around whilst trying to keep what 2nd Amendment they have left and raise money to do so when no one wants to give to the corrupt NRA anymore.
Since the NRA and its members refuse to change actual 2A activists have to shift strategies. The sooner the better. This will also bring respect that can’t be earned through the NRA. No respectable person remains in a corrupt environment they know they cannot change.
SAF has been part of many of the court cases we have won in the past decade or two.
What has SAF accomplished? A hell of a lot more than the NRA lately, for one, and for a hell of a lot less than the NRA, for two.
The GOA needs to put more work into sponsoring more events like the one with the free firearms training for women. Court cases are great, but we don’t have time for that. The NRA doesn’t want to reach out to minorities, women or LGBT+ if they are not forced; they rather stick to their cash cow.
Already there.
I heard the people that call you work for Ackerman and the money goes to them not to fighting court cases or lobbying.
Yup, the “outreach” services the NRA has to source. Also includes the junk mail printers.
As a Benefactor Life Member I have to say I’m extremely disappointed and alarmed. What especially angers me is that these completely outrageous financial expenditures have taken money away from fighting the well financed, well organized anti individual freedom organizations we now face.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” seems to be the case here.
Another thing that angers me is the disunity this causes because we’re squabble amongst ourselves rather than presenting a united front.
The “commie mommies” do a better job than “America’s oldest civil rights organization” with less money. The old white women in red are much more effective. The NRA intentionally does not want to fight for your rights because it’s better you lose them so you feel the need to send them more money to pay their bills.
There is no squabbling. Facts are facts. I know Trump messed with people’s minds with the whole “fake news” strategy, but there is no stopping reality. There’s no alternative facts here, thus, there is no squabbling, just denial.
Now hopefully the older generations pull their heads out of Wayne’s and the NRA’s ass and get to work like the “commie mommies.”
+1
Which is why I don’t send them a penny more than my membership, which I get on an annual basis at Cabela’s where I get a $25 gift card (if I feel like it). Membership then costs me $10. Then the avalanche of begging starts. It never sat well with me, the constant use of “fear” to drum up funds. This doesn’t surprise me at all. If they kept their house in order at all, they would have plenty of $$$ to take care of what should be taken care of. Hell, they couldn’t even send me a free hat I’m supposed to get with a membership, or the right magazine I requested. Let ’em keep both, consider it more donations. People eff up everything.
This is typical of long-term entrenched management of any large entity. They come to see themselves as more and more deserving and entitled over time. Without a proper audit committee, this behavior continues indefinitely. I’ve been paying dues for decades to support the Second Amendment. It appears that Mr. LaPierre and the board lined their own pockets at the expense of the membership. LaPierre should resign, and if these allegations are provable, he should be prosecuted. These breaches of fiduciary duty are outrageous. If they had taken place in a public company, the SEC and DOJ would have been all over them. But being a 501(c)(3), the NRA had less oversight. In addition, the accounting firm that audited the books should be sued for malpractice. (That can be done; I used to do that, quite successfully.)
Eh, not so much. TSLA, for one example.
And Enron, for another. Our history is replete with examples. The SEC goes after whoever they’re told to go after, and leave the connected ones alone no matter what criminal acts they commit. Its not what you DO, its who you know… in the US ‘Justice’ department. At least for now.
Sooner or later, the rule of law will be restored, or else it’ll be the law of the jungle, because without the rule of law, might makes right is all there is…
America lives in controlled chaos, not anarchy (that would be an upgrade). The constitution is not followed and it’s constantly attacked by the people that promise to defend it. There is them then there is us.
Have to agree with you there. This is criminal and it’s giving the Liberal papers a field day.
Betrayed.
Looks a lot like California politics. The only reason I do not provide any support to the NRA is because Wayne Lapierre. Get rid of that douche, and I’ll be back.
Only? You’ve got a lot to learn about Cox and Hammer.
Not one dime, till the corrupt leadership their leg humping (FUDD) buddies are GONE GONE GONE. Hell, maybe in prison too.
GOA, 2A FOUNDATION, FPC, etc etc etc . Wake up NRA members!
Question: Is there anything from this that LaPierre could plausibly be convicted of in this ordeal that would make him a prohibited person? I know a lot of financial felonies don’t render one a prohibited person.
I notice a distinct lack of the usual NRA cheerleaders on this page. I guess just coming out chanting “NRA… NRA… NRA…”, like they usually do, looks a little too childish (even for them), in view of the evidence laid out above.
Felony convictions (prison term of greater than 1 year) make one a prohibited person. It doesn’t matter if it was financial or otherwise (why you lose gun rights for insider trading doesn’t make sense to me, but that is the current law).
If you can’t trust somebody to stay honest with your money why would you trust them with a gun?
Almost any felony conviction will do with a few exceptions, like antitrust violations. This has the potential for mail fraud, wire fraud, honest services fraud, and money-laundering charges. I’ve never been an Oliver North fan, but it looks like he nailed this one.
I thought the financial exemptions were more broad. I’m normally against the idea of prohibited persons (why aren’t they in jail if they’re a danger?) but LaPierre (and hopefully Cox and Hammer as well) being one would be delicious.
There is no economy without strict oversight!!! A law better be able to demonstrate what those fees were for. I used to live in Philly. There was an attorney doing some work for the city who billed it for more than 168 hours of work in a week. When questioned he made the statement that sometimes he “thought” about several cases at the same time. Somebody is not overseeing other people’s money. I can see some of the manufacturers and other firearm-related businesses who donate to the NRA asking some serious questions about how their largess is being used and they usually have good accountants.
I have two words to improve both Congress and the NRA leadership:
TERM LIMITS
False. This will lead to rule by career bureaucrats with only changing figureheads at the top. And the political leanings of career bureaucrats is overwhelmingly leftist.
Term limits are a guarantee of leftist rule.
What about the fact that most people are leftists?
No term limits allows unchallenged positions to remain until death of the person. George Washington would have been king but he refused the offer for a term limit.
Without term limits the politicians can amass power for themselves knowing they can keep the game going if they work with the other side. Republicans have proven they will sell out America to keep their power. Florida Republican signed gun control for a position in the senate after his term limit for governor. Now he can continue doing deals for his personal benefit and there is gun control either way.
Term limits may not stop statist legislation, but they will stop deals being made for extending one’s political career. Corrupt people won’t get a great return on investment when they only get 2-4 or 4-8 years max.
After reading thru all this, about all I can say is that if the NRA becomes insolvent, it is directly because of WLP, and his cronies. There is sooo much illegal shit happening here, that there should be a complete revolt from the membership. Unfortunately, many of the members ( probably the majority ) will never become aware of this situation.
WLP HAS TO GO….PERIOD !!! And the sooner, the better; for the good of the membership of the NRA. If he is allowed to remain in his current capacity, I fear for the future of the organization.
Kudos to Ollie, he tried to do the right thing.
Is the only thing left to do is sue LaPierre? He obviously has no shame and plans on sucking the NRA dry. The other executives would have done something by now if they weren’t on the take as well.
Yeah, if there were some way to file a MALFEASANCE LAWSUIT against him, I think perhaps that would at least start the ball rolling on getting him out.
Perhaps if some of the big contributors, such as manufacturers of guns and related products; who dis-like seeing their money spent in the corrupt way that it is currently, would contribute financially, something could be done. Maybe, if we were lucky, there might be an attorney or law firm who would take the case pro bono. Otherwise, if enough members would get involved, it could become a class action suit.
See no evil…
Blackmail is *not* “doing the right thing” lol
He simply told Wayne that it’s best he step down before they have to expose him for his criminal behavior. He didn’t try to get money out of Wayne. He tried to fulfill his legal duties halfass’d and was kicked out by the (corrupt) NRA for doing so. Wayne is the one that claimed he was being blackmailed, in a letter to his cronies on the board, so they will attack North for some cash.
North is legally liable for not disclosing corruption and dealing with it. It’s not blackmail to do what he is obligated to do. However, he was trying to do it in a secretive way for the benefit of Wayne and his goons. Ultimately he washed his hands of the situation for his benefit.
The NRA is far too corrupt to be dealt with by anyone that works for this enterprise. Even the general members are supporting the corruption and defending it actively.
To paraphrase “King Lear”, the rotten heads are LaPierre and Ack-Mac…
There is a lot more names to go on that list. A lot…
At least it’s a start in the right direction! By getting rid of Wayne LaPierre and his Cronies, it show that the NRA is serious about reforming the NRA power structure. Not doing it, shows that nobody cares and deserve to pay the price of supporting the NRA (aka Internal Corruption)…
Did you see what happened at this year’s members meeting?
The leadership don’t want to change. The majority of the members don’t want to change. They stopped any change from happening this year. They actively fought against fixing the NRA. They booed anyone that brought up the corruption and said we need transparency. They claim it’s just a bunch of Soro’s funded trolls trying to destroy the NRA and oust their best buddy [Wayne]. They voted to do a back room deal in secrecy and to not put up anyone against Wayne.
There is no fixing the NRA if you don’t stop funding them. Money is all they care about. You can’t vote in change because they control the “democracy” and the vote counts.
Maybe that’s the only solution! Too allow the NRA Organization to actually Collapse and Start anew with a new NRA Constitution as to how the NRA is to be Run and Managed. With periodic oversight and review by an outside auditing firm not associated with the NRA or its members…
As I and everyone else thought, someone is lining their pockets with member $$$…
I already knew about this for many years. I kept telling the gun owning public, but they did not want to hear it and they still don’t. The only people that want to hear about it is CNN, MSNBC, Democracy Now, etc.
Now the anti 2A activists are drooling from the mouth after being served this big and tasty piece by the NRA. What they find so great about it is it’s true and the NRA was founded in NY. If they want they can knock down the NRA by 2024…
NRA members had to wait until the documents started to appear online for everyone to see before they actually started to care a little. Now everyone knows and more is going to come out. Great strategy if you wanted to take down the NRA from within.
You knew LaPierre kept a stable of hot mistresses, paid for with member dues? I figured he was dipping from the till…but not the company ink. Holy shit this guy has gotten brazen.
No org is perfect. No org fights for our rights like the NRA. Fix the problem, and get over it. There’s lots of work to do for 2A.
“No org fights for our rights like the NRA”????
Spoken like a true believer in CNN. Can you come up with any other lines? Ones you DIDN’T hear on TV and dutifully repeat? One with REASONS instead of just brainless repetition?
Except they had the chance to begin fixing the problem, and the people in charge chose the status quo.
The chance was last year, when new blood tried to make inroads in the Board…the Board voted to make it more difficult to unseat incumbents. This latest is just more brazen circling of the wagons. ‘Nuff said.
Isn’t Wayne’s wife being paid by Ackerman but she runs part of the NRA? I think I heard she gets paid well.
Sounds like embezzlement and nepotism.
Didn’t Trump’s people in trouble for minor things just because they were tied to Trump? What is going to happen to people tied to the NRA and who helped get Trump elected?
Yes, and now AM wants to know the details concerning the housing expenses for the busty blonde intern, lol…
Kinda explains why I get 3 mailing a week from the NRA asking for money
They have to pay for the lawsuit against themselves somehow. This is what your membership has been funding for decades.
They keep sending me crap that says STOP THE NRA SHUTDOWN in oversize capitals. I keep thinking that ain’t my job.
If they’re failing financially or in a legal bind, I sure as hell didn’t put them there. I send them an annual membership fee because they’re supposed to know how to navigate those waters.
I don’t have any extra $$ to send them. And if I did, why would I send my hard-earned and very limited cash to an organization that can’t keep itself alive, let alone accomplish all the things it told me it was fighting for?
To stop Soros and the deep state from turning America into a communist country! We have to re-elect Trump; only the NRA can do that if they have the money.
Don’t worry, the NRA will have plenty of money between brain dead NRA supporters and Russian government contributions.
They’ll be more secret meetings undercover and under the covers with Russian operatives, and Putin will be happy to send funds to create more chaos in the USA.
I found it sadly amusing that all the “patriotic” American 2A supporters are literally in bed with Russian efforts to destabilize the USA.
Peddle your communism elsewhere Glorious Mine Worker Redneck Revolt comrade. The NRA leadership embezzling has nothing to do with Putin. The only reason Butina was interested in them, is because they’d already whored the national org out to the GOP for fundraising connections, and began to resemble a possible foreign policy lobbying front. That’s more than a little different from secret meetings with puppet master Putin or whatever.
Stop projecting your Democrat and communist foreign funding streams & influence paths onto your opposition. The RNC isn’t anywhere near as corrupted by that sort of stuff as the DNC & DSA have already been proven to be. Even scumbags like Manafort & Koch have limited practical ability to shape policy, compared to Podesta & Soros.
“As we’ve said before, the defense and preservation of gun rights in this country is served by a strong, influential National Rifle Association.”
That is a flat out lie. The TRUTH About Guns, my shiny metal ass. Negotiating Rights Away does NOT defend exercise of the unalienable individual right to keep and bear arms. It steadfastly supports government privileges in the place of exercising the right. It has operated that way since at least 1934 and continues to do so into the present day. Intentionally or not, the NRA has been an effective tool of government created gun control in getting people to accept government infringement. Wake up, TTAG.
Well Mrs LaPierre looks to be inquiring about this Megan and an apartment paid for by said husband.
Col North has been thru the government LE grinder before. I seriously doubt he will want a second pass. So I be siding with him on this. I predict the NY AG or the Feds will place the NRA with a court ordered overseer. It will be 10 or 20 years before we get our organization back.
“Well Mrs LaPierre looks to be inquiring about this Megan and an apartment paid for by said husband”
Where did you see this?
Look at the April 22 letter from William Winkler the NRA CFO to LaPierre. He wants an explaination for the 13K expenditure for an apartment in Fairfax for her. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that she was an intern. Drudge is now carrying a link to the WSJ article at top of the page. I suspect this is the “embarassing” item North referred to in his open letter to LaPierre read by Childress at the NRAAM.
Unfortunately the feud between NRA and Ack-Mac has poisoned any objectivity there may be on the part of Col. North.
It goes without saying nys is so corrupt that anything goes. Scumo is a nyc slug that should have not been reelected. The system in nys is unbelievable.
I doubt I’ll reup my NRA membership. Got another year but it ain’t looking good. This whole episode is disgusting😡
Imagine what happened in that apartment with Megan. You paid for it…
Limos, expensive clothes, wine, private planes, private security, etc, for your lovely non for profit civil rights organization. Without the NRA we would have our money but no human rights. So you better keep paying or else America will become communist. Don’t be a libtard troll by stopping payments to protect your 2A rights.
That’s a heck of a protection racket they’ve got going. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.
Wait until the media gets a whiff of Megan. They might jump to conclusions by reporting Wayne and the NRA are protecting corruption and infidelity for personal gain. That people like Hammer are being paid to protect Wayne and other corrupt NRA controllers. That the nominating committee makes sure to only nominate insiders to help keep Wayne in power and they aided in the removal of North to protect the corruption and secrecy. That Ackerman tagged along when Wayne took control of the NRA decades ago and he has been conspiring with them to destroy the NRA and profit all the way down. That Wayne is using a law firm that is blood related to his long time friends to sue the lawyer’s own family and charge 10s of millions to do so. And so on.
How far can you go before people start charging you with embezzlement? Wayne and the NRA are probably too old to care at this point anyway. It’s not like justice will be served in any meaningful manner for these elderly people.
This is what happens when you run an organization with people that compromise their principles for temporary safety. That’s all the NRA has been with Wayne’s generations running things. All they do is compromise other people’s future for their temporary personal benefit. This was inevitable with such non idealistic corrupt Americans.
Game of Thrones will be the meme for the NRA… Good job…
The NRA will not allow an open investigation, inquiry nor comment on the financial dealings or health of the organization or expense accounting by the board members. To do so would curtail membership and donation dollars and tarnish the organization image,
This is a major betrayal. I’ve defended toe NRA for years, but there’s no way to defend this. And they lynched Ollie North for bringing it to light just like any other corrupt business organization. Is there no integrity left in the world?
As the ship goes down they are stuffing more money into their pockets suing themselves. How nice of them. Such honorable Americans. Let’s not think of the future generations.
Reminds me of the Sewol’s captain and crew saving themselves after telling everyone to stay where they are, and not to worry, as they planned to leave the kids to die.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mplzyDTpLA&t=11m06s
Now if DEM voters would look at their Congresspersons and think about WHERE their actions will take America…. AND act as responsible people to correct the course of our nation the way South Koreans have started taking stock of their cultures lack of moral grounding…. but this problem is World Wide! America has the same immorality as South Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, Sudan, China. But how do we identify the CAUSE, let alone correct it? Hmm
I considered becoming a lifetime member of the NRA. I’m glad I didn’t. I may have to sticl around, at least long enough to vote for the next board of directors.
I found some of what is in “America’s First Freedom” to be odious, reprehensible calls for people to bequeath their life savings to the NRA. That sent an alarm bell through my noggin. Some of the general tone does seem to have a “we can do no wrong” ring to it.
That reminds me, I need to send the Second Amendment Foundation a donation. It’s been a while and they seem to do a LOT more than the NRA does.
Oh look all the same NRA fanboys saying what they have for years, “next time we will get another person elected”, and yet they NEVER DO.
Glad I don’t fund Wayne and the other Corrupt, do nothing NRA heads.
Time to support another organization, especially after reading La shitheads clothing bill for the year
Assuming the clothes he bought were for him not Megan! Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to provide the evidence for his transactions?
Doesn’t Wayne’s wife work for Ackerman and runs part of the NRA? What is she going to do when she finds out about Megan?
Someone tell me I don’t know WTF I’m looking at and that the NRA didn’t foot a bill for $25,000 for air transport from Dallas to Palm Beach!?
this guy breaks it down: https://www.facebook.com/the.crimewave/posts/345543426316513
we were all funding WAYNE’S MISTRESS.
it makes me sick.. benefactor member here, i have paid for 2 months of Wayne’s mistress’ rent.
He forgot to mention the private transportation to make sure no one finds out who travels with him.
Wayne isn’t the smartest corrupt American…
The NRA has been screwing gun owners for decades, and everyone is acting surprised?
Good riddance. I hope they disappear.
And for those still drinking the KoolAid, name one thing the NRA has done to further gun rights over the last century.
If you don’t want to send your money to the NRA, don’t. Send it to GOA, 2AF, whoever you want. At this point, anyone who is still in the “No, wait.. the NRA will fix this, don’t leave” camp is just trying to defend their investment in a lifetime ir better membership. these are people who will. not. ever. recognize that the NRA is no longer the organization they once knew. So they will hang on to the bitter end, trying to get others to keep supporting them. Never gonna change.
never.
Meanwhile, just support who you think best protects your gun rights. quit trying to convince the remaining die-hards. You’re just wasting bits and you give the anti-gun side more ammo.
The NRA called me the day after Nancy Pelosi took the house gavel asking for money to stop her gun grab. I told the woman on the phone that as soon as Wayne gave back just one of his million dollars he got from his contract “bonus” that I would send them a check for $100. I’m still waiting.
Let LaPierre fund the NRA for a few years.
Everyone else, send your 2nd Amendment money elsewhere.
Fuck the crooks that run the NRA.
LaPierre has sweetheart deals that fall into place even if he steps down.
All would be better off if he just rolled over and passed away.
Seems to me the NRA members should be begging Oliver North to stay on as President. He has opened up a corrupt mess and should be commended for it.
La Pierre and Ack Mac,sycophants ie directors,cronies need to be gutted from the organization like the cancer they are,if it is to survive.
My understanding is that the statement that North resigned is false. His term was up and he was not nominated for re-election as president.
Does this mean Wanye does NOT get the “Shimmer Mauve” seat piping on his new Gulfstream?
Shook hands with Wanye once and noticed later my watch was missing.
I’ve been a member of NRA, SAF and GOA for several years now. Also a member of Judicial Watch. Thank You for this article. I will allow my NRA membership to expire. When I’m asked at gunshows and gunstores to round up I will say NO.
By Steve Coombs, former President, and founder of the SB NRA Members Council
Letter to Santa Barbara NRA Members Council:
Larry Rankin, a past president of the Santa Barbara NRA Members council and my successor as president of the council called me and asked me to write a column on my current views of the NRA. I was reluctant to do so because over the last few years I have come to realize that the NRA’s current national management no longer represents my beliefs or my views on how to retain our most precious 2nd Amendment; and because writing this column only drags up bad memories. On the other hand, our local council is at a cross roads and discussion of the issues that got us to this point is important.
Truly, I believe the current NRA management, which includes the Sacramento office, have become compromised in their efforts to fight for the 2nd Amendment. The NRA has financially mismanaged the organization. As of 1997 the Coopers & Lybrand audited financial statements show that the organization had a negative net worth of approximately ($40,000,000). That negative net worth represents the depletion of our pre-paid life member dues. The money is not there to service life members in the future. The organization is effectively insolvent. The only reason it hasn’t collapsed is because all the cash savings have not been exhausted yet. But it won’t be long because the organization is spending more money than it brings in each year. Something you or I could not do. This has been going on for some time. The problem is, Wayne LaPierre is not a business man. He is a marketing guy and has continued to ignore the advice of the past several finance committees until he finally succeed in a palace coup last year and replaced the entire committee with a bunch of LaPierre yes men. You don’t really believe Charlton Heston’s big campaign to “save the 2nd amendment” is about doing anything to protect your rights do you? Where was the NRA in the last election in California ? Did you see any ads? We lost, and we lost big. As a consequence we know were in for lots of gun control and you can bet the NRA is going to be there asking for money. Now they have an enemy again and the membership is going to pay, one way or another. Heston’s campaign is all about trying to rescue a financially failing institution that has been mismanaged for many years. If you interested in learning more about the financial mismanagement of the organization, read the audit report completed by the finance committee under direction of local Santa Barbara resident and former national board member, Rick Carone. You can find a chart showing the massive depletion of NRA’s assets under La Pierre’s management over the last 10 years at the following address:www.nealknox.com/fc/nra98/prepaid_dues.html>. If the general NRA membership paid attention to this, the current administration would be out on their heels overnight.
The Financial mismanagement of your organization has co-opted the entire management of the NRA. The current administration wants to bury the problem. They are no longer paying attention to fighting for the 2nd amendment, they are paying attention to silencing the voices of dissent within the membership. There are numerous examples of this, but one local example is that fact that the NRA doesn’t want a members council to exist in Santa Barbara any longer. Why? Very simple, Rick Carone, the former national board member and finance committee chairman who lead the audit effort previously referred to resides here in Santa Barbara and has been active in the council behind the scenes. Second, neither Larry nor myself, during our terms as president, were yes men to the Sacramento office or the national office. They wanted us to roll over and support who ever they picked as local “pro gun” candidates. Often these candidates had stabbed us in the back with votes against the 2nd amendment (example, Elton Gallegly in the ’94 crime bill and Brooks Firestone’s votes in ’97). We were the bad boys from the very beginning because we didn’t want to play politics within the organization, we wanted to focus our efforts on supporting the 2nd amendment (a real novel idea). Heston and LaPierre have been taking this organization to the “mainstream”. That equates to the gradual erosion of your rights, that began with the 1968 gun control act. Ironically we now know for a fact that Heston had a major public role in getting the American public to support this watershed gun control act. Heston’s response to this: No apologies, No explanations, and No regrets. His only statement “I stand by my record”. Welcome to the New NRA!
Since Sacramento doesn’t want this council to exist any longer, I say great. There are other organizations that are interested in a local grass roots group fighting for the 2nd amendment. One of those is Gun Owners of America. I believe alignment with this organization would be a good move, because they are still focused on fighting for the 2nd amendment, some thing the NRA has lost sight of.
NRA’s 1985-1996 Financial Indicators
Above is a graphical representation from NRA audited financial statements (public information). Prior to 1991, liquid assets (largely cash prepaid dues) roughly tracked deferred liability (future years of operations members paid for in advance). 100% of NRA members serviced 100% of operating cost, as prepaid dues were held in the bank to pay the future cost of ‘servicing’ members.
But then cash (liquid assets) was drawn down to cover losses, resulting in massive unfunded liabilities. Now, effectively half the members’ dues pay all the annual operating costs.
This is why NRA is continually pounding the members for money.
In a given year, future liability to members (deferred income) is the balance of dues remaining for the membership period for which each member paid. For example, in 1993, a 5-year member pays $125, amortized (used up) at $25 per year. In 1995, NRA owes the member 3 more years, or $75 worth of services.
What appears to be a positive trend in 1995-’96 financials (net worth and net income) is not due
to fundamental operational improvement, but mainly due to LUCK: Most of NRA’s liquid assets
(largely prepaid cash dues from members) are invested in stocks and bonds. From 1994-’96 it
might appear that liquid assets grew by $10 million from dues and cash gains on operations (cash receipts less cost), reducing the deficit. Not so: Increases (decreases in the deficit) were mainly due to good market performance, raising the “unrealized gain” and overall value of our portfolio. This is all the more fortunate given that NRA’s no-bid investment arrangement has massively under performed the markets due to high expense and turnover. These are “paper gains,” not “cash gains,” and they can be lost far more quickly than they were made if the market drops.
In 1996, going into the 4th quarter NRA had a loss of ($7 million). To cover the loss and come
out “positive” for the year, NRA officers violated the bylaws by having an unauthorized “fire sale”
on life memberships: A liquidation yielding short term income with long term effects. At best, these discounted dues should have been reserved to cover (fund) the full, un-discounted cost of servicing new members for life. Sadly, the cash was spent before it came in the door. As to claims that losses were actually “investments” into NRA, if so, then the liquid assets would have become hard assets, and thus financially sound—but they didn’t.
As for management performance, the Board was given a report exposing how $300 million was
spent against bylaws and Board policy. The Board did nothing. It’s doubtful the money was
well-spent, as there were no written contracts to serve as benchmarks to judge vendor
performance. But NRA leaders (the so-called “Winning Team”) say it’s OK and the Board
Life Member of the NRA here and I will not give one dollar more until Wayne is gone!
I’m waiting for the ads on late night or non network TV ” for just $19 a month, that’s less than 64 cents a day you can support this worthy advocate of American gun owners”
Yep I can see it now.
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