By Rob Pincus
[ED: You may have seen our post regarding documents recently leaked which detail questionable spending by National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre as well as tens of millions of dollars in legal fees paid to an outside attorney. Rob Pincus posted the following on his Facebook page regarding an article by The Hill about the same documents.]
“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.”
Let me add that Carolyn Meadows as the President of the NRA is troubling and pathetic.
The lack of backbone being shown by most board members is ridiculous. There a very small number of them who are actively communicating and working with those of us outside the NRA structure to try to fix things. but most of them are either Old Guard who actually think all of this is okay or younger “industry professionals” who are afraid and probably in over their heads.
The position they took for career advancement or as a resume builder isn’t working out the way they thought it would. My suggestion: If you don’t want to risk your comfortable jobs and lifestyle, just step down and walk away.
What you can do:
1. Post calls for action on the social media of those board members you know. Make sure they are aware they can’t just pretend nothing is happening.
2. Pressure companies that are donating large amounts to the dysfunctional NRA to let them know that their money could be put to better use with other organizations such as SAF or the many state orgs that are fighting the good fight without bloated salaries & expense accounts.
3. Speak up as an American gun owner who isn’t represented by, or supportive of, the current NRA practices or strategies.
4. Share this information with other gun owners who aren’t paying attention or are in denial about the level of the dysfunction at the NRA. These facts are real, not #fakenews. Better that we police our own than let outsiders use them against us.
#changethenra
The urban centers with their statism are chipping away, state by state. The NRA can’t help you any more than the government court system will. Sure, they and a few GOP leaders will dangle Apple Pie, suppressor deregulation, and reciprocity in front of you every election, but things will just continue the slow slide. Save your money and stock up.
…or send your money elsewhere…perhaps that will gain their attention….the NRA desperately needs to win a big one soon to restore confidence….
Look at Black Guns Matter. They have a better strategy than the NRA. The NRA didn’t want to help them with their outreach to urban America.
The cities run the show. As time goes on the government gets rid of the electoral college through underhanded ways. Thus, the cities will be all that matters.
You have to focus on the non traditional demos. You have to focus on the youth. You have to focus on the city dwellers. You have to focus on the non hunters. You have to focus on the women, the single mothers. You have to focus on the non religious. You have to focus on the non heterosexuals.
I agree with much of what you wrote. I would be happy to contribute to Black Guns Matter and to continue to promote their being included in other gun organization activities.
I will however continue to support and give money to the NRA as well. We need them, despite the flaws. Walking away instead of getting involved and fixing the problems is not the answer.
In my opinion, we need to give fellow members a template of letter(s) to be used to express our feelings directly to the Board of Directors. I have prepared several such letters for our state gun organization to distribute to interested members, and I would encourage others to do the same.
The Board is responsible for the paid staff controlling it. They have a clear responsibility for governance that they have neglected either because they were rewarded for doing so, or they aren’t paying attention, or, they are afraid to challenge other Board members. Whatever their reasons, the choices are unacceptable.
Personally, I am going to cut the amounts I send to the NRA. What I do send will be by check accompanied by a letter explaining why the check is for a lower amount than I could and would normally send. I strongly suggest others do the same.
What I will not do is abandon the NRA. We need them – We are them. The Board just needs to fix the problems.
…they need a wake-up call…
Chance:
Form letters are of no relevance to those in charge. Form letters to NRA leadership are no different than the form letters you get from any company or politician. It only shows contempt and a lack of truly caring enough to take the time voice your own/their opinion. Each person needs to compose their own letter. In this way it at least shows the You care enough to take the time to express Your Opinion. Group letters are the easy way out and aren’t taken seriously. Also keep in mind when an Organization doesn’t allow it’s members the right to elect it’s leader. That leader has no fear of it’s members. The Board really doesn’t care either except at election time. Just like politicians. The only thing they need more than Our vote is Our Money. At least with the NRA. We give it willingly. Life member 40 years. Other than purchasing a 3 items at the NRA store. I have given no money to the national organization in many years.
My thought was only to provide letters that people could use as guidance and not as a substitute for their own letter expressing their thoughts. See below:
————————————————————————
May 14, 2019
National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030.
To Interested Parties:
I am sending this letter with mixed feelings. Enclosed you will find a check for $1,000.00 in support of the National Rifle Association. It is smaller than what it could, and should be. I am very supportive of the importance of the NRA in protecting the 2ndAmendment Rights of gun owners, but I have been, and still am, bitterly disappointed in the Board of Directors for failing to fulfill their duties to the membership that elected them in the form of proper governance of the paid staff and the association itself. I actually broke off a conversation at the Annual Meeting about upgrading my Patron Life Membership to a Life Ring of Freedom membership because of the responses I received during that conversation.
That several members of your executive staff are out of control of the Board is very apparent to me. The salary levels they have managed to achieve, the perks they have enjoyed, and some of the items they have acquired at NRA expense is proof of that.
I am aware that top level people in Washington DC demand and are paid at compensation levels much higher than generally paid in the state capitols, but the NRA Execs stated packages far exceed those other comparable organizations in Washington DC offer. This is symptomatic of a complacent and perhaps even collusive Board. The very fact that some Board Members or their close family members, are also being paid considerable money for one thing or another, seems very close to the line of uncomfortable compensation.
The New York investigations are horrible for the effectiveness of the NRA, but even worse is the reaction of the general membership, and potential membership of the NRA. Why would you expect less from them? Many of them make less than $50,000 per year and their contributions while heartfelt, are often serious sacrifices for them.
To learn how much money the NRA ultimately spent on suits for Wayne Lapierre, or his trips outrages many NRA members. Ultimately, it will greatly slow membership growth and the contributions from current members. The Board needs for certain members to resign quietly, and for the rest to step up and exercise their responsibilities. Mr. Lapierre, and others, need to either resign or be fired.
Thank you for your consideration and time in reading this letter. I will continue to support the NRA and the mission, but I will also continue to call for the Board to take control of the situation and the paid staff. Should that happen, I will dramatically increase my contributions and urge others to do the same.
Respectfully,
(Chance Mc Call)
NRA Membership Number:
—————————————————————————–
Obviously, my letter is specific to my situation, but there might be elements or structure that others might be able to use when composing their own letters. (This letter is going to every member of the Board as well as the NRA HQ.
Well done, sir.
Chance is a Guns Save Life member and very well connected. We’re lucky to have him and value his analysis and guidance.
John
That’s good.
A variation, stealing from Dale Carnegie courses, of all places: don’t use scripted words. Use beats or notions, n craft the words as you deliver. It sounds like you, because it is you.
Working comedians and professional speakers do this all the time. Writr down the beats, with the one phrase or line that has to be just so. You only quote that one tag. The rest you improv.
The left has discovered states rights is a wonderful way to get their gun bans through. The NRA is ill fitted to challenge on so many fronts, they are geared towards larger efforts . And they have not been at the forefront there either.
Now it’s publicly disclosed there is misappropriation going on. New york will use this to jam the organization. Cuomo will proudly take credit for the demise.
You fairweather patriots need to understand the consequences of reducing or eliminating contributions to the NRA.
By taking such drastic, un-American actions, the mistress(es?) might lose her Amazon Prime membership, and will very likely be reduced to basic cable. Basic cable!!!
Have you seen that woman? That is not a basic cable chick.
Ha! This took a very different turn than the first sentence led me to expect.
But you’re right. I guess I’d better reduce my grocery budget, cancel my basic cable, and send all the money I can to help that unfortunate, beautiful young woman.
#notallheroeswearcapes
I’ve redirected my money to 2AF and GOA
You f*cking monster how dare you deprive that woman of her HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX ultra deluxe super supreme cable package and new designer undies she’ll model for Wayne in a “private conference” at some resort in the Caribbean!!! You should be ashamed of yourself how can she give oral reports under Wayne’s desk if she isn’t in the latest and greatest designer duds?
Hey now! You act as if Wayne was a Democratic legislative aid before taking over the NRA! Only Bill Clinton would do such things. Any young attractive lady Wayne hangs out with is simply a gun bunny or intern. Gun bunnies are for a looking, not a touching. Interns do other work. #MeToo
Any pretty young thing Wayne hangs around with is paid by the hour, mail ordered, or rented from arrangements dot com (no it’s not an online flower shop they deal strictly in sugar if you catch my drift.).
How much do you know about GOA? I have offered to join as a Life Member provided they answer a few questions and supply a list of their Board of Directors and their by-laws. I have yet to get an answer to any of my questions or a fulfillment of my requests.
“The lack of backbone being shown by most board members is ridiculous”
Most? Where do you get “most”?
“entire board is fully aware of these issues. We have full confidence in Wayne LaPierre.”
“LaPierre, All NRA Officers Unanimously Re-Elected Without Opposition”
I already sent Pete Brownell a letter telling him how disappointed I am. Never got a response.
My next purchase from Midway USA won’t include a donation to the United States oldest gun control organization,Negotiating Rights Away since 1934. I’ll also let them know it’s time to find a supplier who doesn’t aid in the infringement of my rights,perhaps now is the time to find another supplier and not even bother with Midway USA any longer.
As I understand it, and I could be wrong, the only people who can be chosen for Executive positions are those that have been nominated by the nominating committee. The nominating committee runs the show. I don’t think other board members can make nominations for officers.
Unless their by-laws are way different than most, the Nominating Committee selects board approved candidates for the Board openings. The officers, may or may not be selected by the Nominating Committee, but other Board Members can challenge and run themselves for an Officer position. The whole Board must vote on those positions. Majority normally rules. The votes (2019) were far from unanimous if the information I have is correct.
I have done all I can do. I have stopped donating to the NRA, I let my membership lapse, I speak out and encourage others to do the same. As long as Wayne and Ack-Mac are in charge I will never support them.
Same here. I was appalled not only at the waste going on but they were upstaged by many smaller gun groups. Then came the LV shooter and instead of standing firm they turned around.
If NRA doesn’t get rid of LaPierre after all this fraud & criminality, they are toast.
Don’t need any fancy form letters to send them.
Just write “ FIRE LaPierre now or not one red cent from this household” on all the money asking / begging letters they send weekly.
The Left marches in lock-step. Conservatives form a circular firing squad. That’s why the Left wins.
The Republicans don’t conserve they compromise. The left are totally dedicated to compromising human rights. When the left comes a knocking most of the Republicans join them. It’s a sham, but you are only barely starting to notice, hence the infighting you think you see. It’s not infighting, it’s betrayal.
The Republicans don’t stand for anything. They bend over and take it willfully. Remember when Trump got B’ slapped by Nancy over the border wall and reopening the government? One dollar for you…
The people that believe they are “conservatives” need to reevaluate their ideology to figure out if they are actually leftists. Most older Republicans are of the left. They think Democrats that run as Republicans are conservatives. So much so the Democrats are using that to their advantage to push America further left.
It is sad to see the divide and conquer strategy of the gun-grabbers working so well.
I cannot float the entire NRA boat by any means, so I do what I can, and pray they do too.
This State by State practice is really strapping the unity and cohesiveness and the A2A
are seemingly winning anymore…
Spectrre_USA: All politics is local, right? Contribute to your state and local 2A and firearms/hunting advocacy organizations.
Who is being divided from whom?
Fools and their money, it would seem.
How much is Bloomberg paying you?
😛
Probably less than LaPierre pays his smokin’ hot interns.
“I cannot float the entire by any means, so I do what I can, and I pray they do too.” So do I.
Unfortunately, it looks like LaPierre answered those prayers by spending more than you and I make per year combined on his mistress. Even if there’s a non-philandering explanation for his personal expenses, there’s still millions of dollars in inflated corporate lawyer fees and the incestuous Ackerman McQueen quid pro quo to add to the bill.
And that’s on top of his $900k per year salary, which was already nauseating.
The sad fact is, the gun-grabbers didn’t need to do any divide-and-conquering here. Wayne LaPierre and his cronies took their half out of the middle, and the NRA is likely to collapse under its own weight now that they’ve hollowed it out.
Just think how much more effective the NRA could have been without those leeches bleeding it dry over the last 20 years. A million dollars to Washington state instead of WLP’s “clothing budget” and corporate lawyers could have kept this state from falling to the progtard horde.
Instead, the progressive billionaire’s club spreads propaganda virtually unopposed and gets the best judges and election results money can buy — and all we NRA members get are pleas for more donations with LaPierre’s ugly face plastered all over them, like he’s the only one that can save us…if only we’d get over our stupid little selves and send him more money.
Sorry… You can probably see that I’m a little bit upset about all this.
Starting to look like they are a clone of state and federal governments.
Can anyone verify that the board has officially dumped Ack-Mac and gotten a new PR co.? That should have happened by now.
I think at least ILA has been doing as good a job as anyone can possibly do, considering the enormity of the opposition. Lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Yes, there is that. Give directly to the NRA-ILA if you want your money to do something for you politically. Chris Cox’s lobbyists are the people who have direct access to the swamp-dwellers.
This. People don’t realize when they look at the NRA’s spending, but member dues cannot be used for lobbying, only donations to the ILA/PAC branch of the NRA can. Want to defund Wayne’s suit fund but still continue to support lobbying? Donate to the NRA-ILA or even the NRA-PVF, and not the NRA in general. Granted, Chris Cox has had his missteps, too. But at least you know your money won’t be going towards hookers and clothing.
The Cox that wants gun confiscation powers for cops?
The ILA that takes credit for other organizations’ lawsuits? The part of the NRA that raises money by pretending to fight against bills they have no real intention of standing up to with that money?
Didn’t board members say that Chris also gets his clothes paid for?
He may, but if he’s using ILA/PAC funds, he’s going to wind up in prison for a very long time. My post wasn’t meant to defend Cox so much as it was to point out that money going to the ILA isn’t and can’t be used in the same fashion. It’s not the money paying their salaries.
User_1:
You don’t know as much as you think.
Taking credit for other people’s lawsuits? You do realize the NRA-ILA underwrites the expenses on many of those suits, right? They don’t brag about it. They do it quietly, behind the scenes.
How’s that presidential gun-rights commission you were tapped for doing these days, Mr. Boch? Would you say it’s been more or less effective than the NRA-ILA’s lobbying efforts?
BTW, given how often they do seem to ‘spike the football’ at every fundraising opportunity when they have even tenuous connection to various victories, it begs the question why they *aren’t* louder about all the lawsuits they underwrite. It’s not like there’s any downside to doing so, is there?
#WaynegoesorIgo
NRA member, well I guess that leaves me out.
pretty hard to advocate for an organization that is so unresponsive to its membership…….
“Pressure companies that are donating large amounts to the dysfunctional NRA to let them know that their money could be put to better use with other organizations such as SAF…”
Rob Pinkus always struck me as being a weasel, but now I see he’s a vulture too.
I’m not saying I like Rob Pincus, but he has a point. The SAF is very effective and fights in arenas that the NRA does not. How is this a bad thing?
He sees only what he wants to see. Notice he left the rest of the comment out. He does that so he can talk shit and not get anything done.
Rob isn’t a great guy and I personally don’t like some of his ideology, but he is correct in saying we need to move on from the archaic and dying NRA to start doing something of value (where ever that is).
The NRA put us in a position where we are struggling and don’t know what to do. This all before 2020 and the next Democrat president. They could have fixed their shit before 2020 instead they wanted the money and the political power.
The 2nd Amendment Foundation is a very good organization. I am a Life Member of them just as I am a Life Member of the NRA. We need to support both, plus our state organizations as well. We just need to fix the problem at the NRA by putting pressure on the BOD to do their job.
The ‘magic’ words are:
“Better that we police our own than let outsiders use them against us.”
Let’s we all stop being in denial and FIX THE PROBLEM, eh?, All you NRA cheerleaders… WE ARE LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU!
Man up, cancel NRA, and go join GOA, 2ndAF, or any of many others that won’t just steal your money to buy Lapierre a new, tailor-made formal suit….. every. single. week. (52 weeks times $2500 equals 130K, LESS than what he refuses to account for of his ‘clothing allowance’).
Nyet, comrade, you must not sow the dissent! Glorious Hero LaPierski is not to be questioned! His expenses are not to be questioned! His mistresses are not to be questioned! Only Democratzky could possibly object to 52,000 serf’s dues supporting his mistress’ dacha, and 156,000 his clothes! To Lubyanka, with you!
This is the first thing I heard the media say about the new NRA president.
Now the NRA president is saying they already knew about the NRA corruption, that it’s old/stale news and they support Wayne to the fullest. They say it’s just a bunch of Soros Russian trolls trying to turn America into a communist country with their fake news.
“By Rob Pincus”
Stopped reading about that point…
Tell us about why you don’t trust Rob.
I knew the NRA was garbage 20 years ago, never believed they stopped being fudds. What allowed me to be sure is the kind of losers their vocal members are. “What else am I supposed to do?” “Do you have another gun rights org that size?” “If it weren’t for the NRA…” “I support other orgs too though!”
With members like that the NRA had to be corrupt and useless, you gave it no choice.
A very valid point, that deserves repeating. Wayne was a snake when the NRA took him in decades ago, and really never gave any reason to change that perception. There was that brief period where he sort of appeared to be brave after Newtown, but as we know now (and he knew then) there was no risk of legislation passing, and besides stating them slowly & deliberately, his statement was pretty damn milquetoast on the whole for the insane reaction it caused on the left. He simply surprised everyone by not apologizing & immediately capitulating; such bravery.
Yup. Really it was all private gun owners after Newtown clearing the gun store shelves that held the line. Fait accompli; no voting, no 4D chess, no lobbying, no guilt, nothing to argue about. Of course the NRA took credit and gun owners turned back into slobbering groupies for then and the RNC.
I’ll believe that, when I actually see the change and don’t have to pay the price (i.e. Increased Dues) for the privilege[s] of that change…
I’m tired of hearing pissing and moaning! We need to get all these organizations working as one! Every time there is a big problem and Democrats get on the air you hear the same words coming out of their mouths. That’s how gun owners have to be!! As John Dickinson first said by song in the Boston Gazette, July 1768, “Then join hand in hand brave Americans all! By uniting we stand by dividing we fall!” I am poor and in ill health otherwise, I’d be traveling and attempting to coordinate. And I’m not kidding. I have afflictions that make traveling very hard. I haven’t been on a trip of more than about 10 miles in years. I do have this computer and a telephone though so I will be using them.
The people needed to fix the problem, the Board, are the problem. I’m a Patron Life Member, but NOT ANOTHER DIME!
Armed Radio Network reported tonight that Pierre spend
over $40,ooo for suits and tens of thousands for a vacation!
Just what is needed when gun-haters are launching more and
more anti-2nd Amendment law.
Pierre has got to go and go NOW!
I am conflicted.
The NRA seems feckless, or worse, yet the anti-people rail constantly about their lock on congress n influence in the swamp. Whatever else the NRA is doing, theg’re pissing off the right people.
What to do…
Here’s what you should do; be happy with the fiery, empty rhetoric by and directed at the NRA. You earned it. Savor that drama.
That’s enough of a payoff because like other peasants throughout history you’re belligerent and short-sighted. You’d rather pound chest at some other American and have them pound back, and delude yourself that you’re getting the better of it than improve your own situation, and that’s OK.
Don’t be greedy and ask for more. That’s why you’re conflicted, you think there might be more presents for you under the Xmas tree. Let go of that idea. You’ve got no leverage and your motives are transparent, so just enjoy what you have.
Oliver North became the NRA Chairman in September 2018 and left in April 2019, and served ~ 8 months. At what point of him (Oliver North) find out about Wayne LaPierre’s excessive spending habits using NRA Funds. This had to be the Best Kept Secret of All Time, considering the are or were ~75 NRA Board of Directors who must of at sometime had knowledge of Wayne LaPierre’s excessive shenanigans. And still remained silent. That’s what I find to be the Biggest Insult to the NRA’s rankin file membership…
Some of us have known about this stuff for many years. We had to wait until the right time to bring it up again, which is the worst time for the NRA. No one wants to listen when things seem like they are going dandy, they only like to listen when the house is on fire.