quote:

Originally posted by savoy6:
...the Board needs to be restructured and reduced in size to a workable number, and in particular, the Wayne sycophants on the Board executive and finance committees, who allowed and approved all this mess, need to be removed. In the past, the very few on the board who had any semblance of guts and raised objections, were forced out or removed from committee assignments that made any difference. It has been virtually impossible for any outsider to get a seat on the board, as the nominating committee, comprised of Wayne faithfuls, pretty much had control of who appeared on the ballot. Otherwise, nothing will change.

^^^^^ This. Cotton needs to go, too.

A number of pro-gun organizations have sprung up in recent years probably because of the weakening of the NRA. So there has been some good coming from it. But the number of voters, and the amount of money, that the NRA could marshal was unique and had a lot of impact.

We'll see if the organization can be revitalized. It needs to be above reproach to succeed.

Freaking finally.

Link

NRA chief, one of the most powerful figures in US gun policy, says he’s resigning days before trial

The Associated Press
January 5, 2024, 6:47 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he treated himself to millions of dollars in private jet flights, yacht trips, African safaris and other extravagant perks at the powerful gun rights organization’s expense.

Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31. The trial is scheduled to start Monday in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against him, the NRA and two others who’ve served as executives. LaPierre was in court this week for jury selection and is expected to testify at the trial. The NRA said it will continue to fight the lawsuit, which could result in a further shakeup of its leadership and the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee its finances.

“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization, which said he was exiting for health reasons. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”

James, a Democrat, heralded LaPierre’s resignation as an “important victory in our case” and confirmed the trial will go on as scheduled. His exit “validates our claims against him, but it will not insulate him or the NRA from accountability,” James said in a statement.

Andrew Arulanandam, a top NRA lieutenant who has served as LaPierre’s spokesperson, will assume his roles on an interim basis, the organization said.

LaPierre, 74, has led the NRA ’s day-to-day operations since 1991, acting as the face and vehement voice of its gun-rights agenda and becoming one of the most influential figures in shaping U.S. gun policy. He once warned of “jack-booted government thugs” seizing guns, brought in movie star Charlton Heston to serve as the organization’s president, and condemned gun control advocates as “opportunists” who “exploit tragedy for gain.”

In one example of the NRA’s evolution under LaPierre, after the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado, in 1998, the NRA signaled support for expanded background checks for gun purchases. But after a gunman killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, LaPierre repudiated background checks and called for armed guards in every school. He blamed video games, lawmakers and the media for the carnage, remarking: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

“The post-Sandy Hook apocalyptic speech was kind of the talismanic moment when, for him and the NRA, there was no going back,” Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York-Cortland and author of several books on gun politics.

The NRA remains a strong political force, with Republican presidential hopefuls flocking to its annual convention last year. In recent years, though, the organization has been beset by financial troubles, dwindling membership, and infighting among its 76-member board along with lingering questions about LaPierre’s leadership and spending.

After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, fueled mostly by misspending, the NRA cut back on longstanding programs that had for decades been core to its mission, including training and education, recreational shooting and law enforcement initiatives. In 2021, the organization filed for bankruptcy and sought to incorporate in Texas instead of New York, where it was founded as a nonprofit charity in 1871 — but a judge rejected the move, saying it was a transparent attempt to duck James’ lawsuit.

“(LaPierre) is, more than any other single person, responsible for putting the NRA in the dumpster situation it is right now,” Spitzer said.

Gun control advocates lauded LaPierre’s resignation, mocking his oft-repeated talking point in the wake of myriad mass shootings over the years.

“Thoughts and prayers to Wayne LaPierre,” said Kris Brown, president of the gun-control advocacy group Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “He’s going to need them to be able to sleep at night. Wayne LaPierre spent three decades peddling the Big Lie that more guns make us safer — all at the expense of countless lives. He has blood on his hands, and I won’t miss him.”

Another advocacy group, March For Our Lives, said that when it was founded in 2018 after a mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school, the NRA “was an untouchable and seemingly all-powerful political juggernaut.” Months later, the group sent a letter to the New York attorney general’s office raising questions about alleged financial misdeeds involving NRA executives, including LaPierre. The letter sparked the investigation that led to James’ lawsuit.

“All it took was some meddling kids and a whole lot of determination to take down one of the largest and most powerful lobbying machines in American history,” March for Our Lives said in a statement.

James sued LaPierre and three co-defendants — NRA general counsel John Frazer, retired finance chief Wilson Phillips and LaPierre’s ex-chief of staff Joshua Powell — in 2020, alleging they cost the organization tens of millions of dollars from questionable expenditures including lucrative consulting contracts for ex-employees, and gifts for friends and vendors.

LaPierre is accused of setting himself up with a $17 million contract with the NRA if he were to exit the organization, and spending NRA money on travel consultants, luxury car services, and private flights for himself and his family — including more than $500,000 on eight trips to the Bahamas over a three-year span.

As punishment, James is asking that LaPierre and the other defendants be ordered to pay the NRA back and that they be banned from serving in leadership positions of any charitable organizations conducting business in New York, which would bar them from any NRA involvement.

Powell, who wrote of “staggering” waste and corruption in his 2020 book “Inside the NRA,” settled with James’ office late Friday. He agreed to testify at the trial, pay the NRA $100,000 and forgo further nonprofit involvement. Frazer and Phillips have denied wrongdoing.

Defending himself in prior testimony, LaPierre said that cruising the Bahamas on a vendor’s 108-foot (33-meter) yacht was a “security retreat” because he was facing threats after the Sandy Hook and Parkland shootings. LaPierre also took steps to purchase a $6.5 million “safe house” for him and his wife in Texas through the NRA after the Parkland shooting, but the deal fell through, the lawsuit said.

LaPierre conceded not reporting the yacht trips on conflict-of-interest forms, testifying: “It’s one of the mistakes I’ve made.” Some expenses related to the trips were covered by the NRA, the lawsuit said.

Phillip Journey, an ex-NRA board member who clashed with LaPierre and is expected to testify at the New York trial, said LaPierre’s resignation doesn’t resolve open questions before the court or fix persistent rot within the organization.

“Honestly, the grifters are a snake with many heads and this is just one,” said Journey, a Kansas judge who is running to rejoin the NRA board.

Journey also testified at the NRA’s bankruptcy trial in Texas and said he anticipates there is enough evidence for the James to prove her case. “It’s a tragic end to a career that had many high points,” Journey said of LaPierre stepping down. “It’s one of his own making.”

quote:

Originally posted by savoy6:
I seem to recall reading that Wayne's board buddies approved giving him his salary, in perpetuity, upon his retirement. With him gone, this is a good start, but as pointed out earlier, the Board needs to be restructured and reduced in size to a workable number, and in particular, the Wayne sycophants on the Board executive and finance committees, who allowed and approved all this mess, need to be removed. In the past, the very few on the board who had any semblance of guts and raised objections, were forced out or removed from committee assignments that made any difference. It has been virtually impossible for any outsider to get a seat on the board, as the nominating committee, comprised of Wayne faithfuls, pretty much had control of who appeared on the ballot. Otherwise, nothing will change.

This, exactly. Well said. The board needs to be overhauled.

He resigned. Didn’t retire. Maybe that money provision is no longer appropriate.

quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:
I have despised him since the "Jack booted thugs" remarks. That was when I quit the first time, but now I have to be a member to stay in our gun club, so I held my nose and became a life member. Don't let the door hit you on the way out Wayne.

I don't understand this. I always thought that was a completely true statement.
I know from all of the things I see on the internet that there will be a lot of people donating that have said they will not contributor while Wayne was there.

He was all about the rich high-life. Stopped giving to the NRA years ago when I read about fancy wine and vacations paid by the membership. We need a strong NRA to preserve the Second Amendment, hope a honest leader will get the organization back on its mission.

quote:

Originally posted by savoy6:

...In the past, the very few on the board who had any semblance of guts and raised objections, were forced out...

Is that what happened to Oliver North?

Among others..

It’s about time but the organization is in need of a total house cleaning.

Let’s start with the removal of all board members; term limits (perhaps 12 years); require board members to attend board meetings; a reduction of the board to 12, 1/3 of whom are up for election every 4 to 6 years; require board meeting minutes to be published, along with salary and benefits for NRA officers. Further, the board and the faces of the NRA need to be younger; the organization’s leadership, for its own survival needs to get younger, smarter, and tougher. Jeff Knox made suggestions like the above a few years ago.

When some of WLPs “expenses” started coming to the light of day, that, along with “reforms” designed to keep WLP and his cronies in power, caused many of us to cease contributing. I’m a long, long ways away from being a significant donor, but am an endowment member who attended Friends Of the NRA events and contributed additional monies as did many, many others.

I’ll remain on the sidelines as will many others until meaningful reforms focused on a return to defending the individual citizens right to keep and bare arms, working to enhance the shooting sports, and firearms training is seen.

Silent

quote:

Originally posted by Silent:
It’s about time but the organization is in need of a total house cleaning.

Let’s start with the removal of all board members; term limits (perhaps 12 years); require board members to attend board meetings; a reduction of the board to 12, 1/3 of whom are up for election every 4 to 6 years; require board meeting minutes to be published, along with salary and benefits for NRA officers. Further, the board and the faces of the NRA need to be younger; the organization’s leadership, for its own survival needs to get younger, smarter, and tougher. Jeff Knox made suggestions like the above a few years ago.

When some of WLPs “expenses” started coming to the light of day, that, along with “reforms” designed to keep WLP and his cronies in power, caused many of us to cease contributing. I’m a long, long ways away from being a significant donor, but am an endowment member who attended Friends Of the NRA events and contributed additional monies as did many, many others.

I’ll remain on the sidelines as will many others until meaningful reforms focused on a return to defending the individual citizens right to keep and bare arms, working to enhance the shooting sports, and firearms training is seen.

Silent

Well said and I look forward to the day when a strong leadership with an independent board stands up for the rights of of ordinary citizens as it pertains to 2A.

I'll rejoin now. I let my membership lapse in part because of my lack of trust in Wayne's leadership.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

Originally posted by savoy6:
...the Board needs to be restructured and reduced in size to a workable number, and in particular, the Wayne sycophants on the Board executive and finance committees, who allowed and approved all this mess, need to be removed. In the past, the very few on the board who had any semblance of guts and raised objections, were forced out or removed from committee assignments that made any difference. It has been virtually impossible for any outsider to get a seat on the board, as the nominating committee, comprised of Wayne faithfuls, pretty much had control of who appeared on the ballot. Otherwise, nothing will change.

^^^^^ This. Cotton needs to go, too.

Who's Cotton?

Charles Cotton is a long-time NRA Board member and current President. He's also one of the principal Wayne enablers.

This is a good start. A HUGE chunk of the board needs to go as well, for the same reasons. I only have an NRA membership because my local range requires it.

Merely having Wayne leave is not enough for them to get my full support back. Besides him, there are plenty of other high-ranking officials that could/should be going to jail with him. I'll see how this plays out.

I've been Life member since sometime in the 80s, IIRC.

My wife was an annual member and was gonna step up to Life (I was gonna buy it for her) but she ws so annoyed by him that she let her membership lapse.

Then, a couple-three years later, we got an offer from the NRA for some insurance that she thought was a good idea (had to do with getting sick or injured when traveling) and she re-joined to take advantage of the offer but told the NRA not to send any magazine and no correspondence.

I also get zero correspondence from them and it's been that way for prolly the last 25 years or more. I do get the Rifleman and it sometimes takes a good ten minutes to read it, but often less.

Depending on who takes the helm, she may decide to upgrade to Life (I will still pay for it).

We'll just have to see.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by abnmacv:
He was all about the rich high-life.

Yes, and it wasn't just suits, wine, and vacations.

A few years ago, our friend, who represented us when we bought our house in TX, told my wife about "the NRA guy" who was interested in buying a "house" in Westlake TX, less than 10 miles from our house. She is friends with the seller's realtor. Apparently the closet space was not adequate for their needs., so they/The NRA passed on it.

10,000 sq ft of living space. $6 million.

https://www.realtor.com/news/t...ught-wayne-lapierre/

Yeah, I'm still done with them. The time when they were meaningful or important to the preservation of 2A rights has long since passed. If they were to completely gut the board and start over....in a few years after I see how it's going.....I might be inclined to donate again, but until and if that happens I'm done.

AMF.

As a Life Member, I long held the NRA in high esteem, believing/knowing that we would not enjoy half of the gun rights we now do were it not for that organization. That was true for many years, up until...I'd say about the mid-90s or so. Since then, IMO, they have become nothing more that yet another bloated charity where more money goes to salaries and other expenditures than goes to protecting our rights. I've seen precious little lobbying on our behalf in the past 25 years or so.

With this move, hopefully they'll get back into the fight. We'll see.