Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, another partisan Democrat, has decided he doesn’t want New York Attorney General Letitia James to have all the fun with the National Rifle Association.
The NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in D.C., now finds itself in Racine’s crosshairs. Like his New York counterpart Racine is investigating the non-profit and has subpoenaed a variety of financial records of both the National Rifle Association and the NRA Foundation.
The Washington Post reported on it today.
D.C’s attorney general issued subpoenas Friday to the National Rifle Association and its charitable foundation, putting additional pressure on the embattled gun rights organization from nonprofit regulators.
The office of Attorney General Karl A. Racine is seeking financial documents from the NRA and its foundation. The NRA Foundation is chartered in the District and the NRA is registered as a nonprofit and does business there.
“The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia has issued subpoenas to the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and the NRA Foundation, Inc., as part of an investigation into whether these entities violated the District’s Nonprofit Act,” Racine said in a statement.
He continued: “We are seeking documents from these two nonprofits detailing, among other things, their financial records, payments to vendors, and payments to officers and directors.”
While the NRA Foundation remains a 501(c)(3) charity, there are documents that suggest it has been donating to some of Wayne LaPierre’s wife Susan’s pet charities. And at least one outlet reports that the donations went un-reported on financial disclosure forms.
From The New Yorker:
The NRA Foundation describes itself as “America’s leading charitable organization in support of the shooting sports.” Each year, the foundation — which is a nonpolitical arm of the National Rifle Association and can accept tax-deductible contributions — takes in tens of millions of dollars, mostly from small donors. Of that, it steers about $20 million to the NRA’s own gun-safety, training, and hunting programs. The rest goes to gun clubs and ranges, youth shooting groups, and organizations researching the Second Amendment. In a “letter of appreciation” that appeared in the foundation’s 2017 annual report, Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice-president of the NRA and an ex-officio trustee of the foundation, wrote, “On behalf of the entire NRA family, thank you for your dedication and for your generous contributions that keep America safe and free.”
Like all charitable groups, the NRA is required to describe the amount, nature, and recipients of its grants on its annual tax filings. But between 2013 and 2017, the NRA did not disclose payments to at least one charity — a Christian organization called Youth for Tomorrow, which provides outpatient and inpatient services for children with acute psychological and behavioral problems. Founded in 1986 by the former football coach Joe Gibbs, the charity, which is based in Northern Virginia, is a favorite of conservative elites. It is not an obvious match for the NRA Foundation. But the two groups do have one point of overlap: Wayne LaPierre’s wife, Susan LaPierre, is a longtime member of the YFT board and, until very recently, was its president.
Susan LaPierre joined the YFT board in 2009, and served as its president from 2013 to last December, when, according to Gary Jones, YFT’s chief executive officer, she chose not to stand for re-election. She remains “admired and respected by everyone on the board for her genuine commitment to our vulnerable children,” Jones told me. During the time of her involvement with the charity, the NRA Foundation has sponsored at least seven of its events, including its annual Heart 2 Heart Gala. A formal affair held at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia, the gala features conservative luminaries such as Taya Kyle, the widow of the American sniper Chris Kyle, and performances by celebrities, including the country singer Alan Jackson and the comedian Jeff Foxworthy. In 2011, the NRA Foundation was described on Facebook as one of the event’s two leading sponsors. According to publicly available YFT newsletters and fundraising brochures, the NRA Foundation served as one of the gala’s top-tier sponsors on at least three more occasions: in 2013, for $25,000, and in 2016 and 2017, for $50,000.
Susan LaPierre has served on the board of a non-profit Youth for Tomorrow. YFT’s work apparently includes housing illegal alien children that are unaccompanied by adults.
Follow this link to 82 pages of promotional materials indicating NRA Foundation sponsorship of a host of YFT’s programs and events. Sponsorships totaling well over a hundred thousand dollars. Not one has to do with youth shooting programs. In fact, at least one is geared towards getting young people NOT to shoot.
Looking a little deeper at Ackerman-McQueen corporate bios, what do we find?
Nader Tavangar
EVP / Managing Director
Since 1999, Nader has risen through the ranks with Ackerman McQueen, from driver to lead account man. He has managed the agency’s D.C.-based operation since 2009.
In 2003, Nader transferred to London to open and operate an international office for AM clients functioning in Europe. He has worked on several major accounts over the course of his career including Six Flags and the National Rifle Association, cultivating longstanding relationships with each.
Outside of work hours, Nader can be found chasing dragons and saving princesses with his two daughters. He has appeared in, produced and directed several film, TV and theater productions, and is highly involved with the Catholic church. Nader also serves on the board of trustees for Youth for Tomorrow as marketing committee chairman, and, time permitting, he holds a new fervor for hunting Asian mountainous game and spear fishing.
It looks like Mr. LaPierre and the NRA have yet another a new enemy on their flank.