More than a week after a Texas judge ruled that the National Rifle Association’s double-secret bankruptcy bid was filed “in bad faith” and dismissed it, Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre issued a message to NRA members this afternoon.
The gist: EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL! LaPierre’s missive emphasizes that the Association managed to dodge the most deadly bullets that could have fired the NRA’s way. Judge Harlin Hale 1) didn’t dismiss the filing with prejudice, and 2) didn’t appoint a trustee to take over.
Number one means the NRA theoretically could try another bankruptcy filing if they’re foolhardy enough to roll those dice again. Number two means LaPierre and his subservient corps of officers and managers remain in control of the Association.
The takeaway that Wayne wants to communicate to members who may be going wobbly: The NRA remains STRONG AND SECURE.
Well yeah. That’s a big part of the reason Judge Hale dismissed the Chapter 11 filing in the first place. The NRA isn’t insolvent and is able meet its obligations to creditors. Dodging the New York Attorney General’s attempt to shut the NRA down isn’t a valid use of the bankruptcy code, something that should have been plain to the NRA’s attorneys before they filed in the first place (thus wasting somewhere between $15 and $20 million in legal fees).
Here’s the full text of LaPierre’s email blast . . .
Dear NRA Members,
In my more than 40 years with the NRA, we’ve taken part in some bruising fights to defend our freedoms and our NRA. As they say, nothing worth having comes easy.
Over the past month, we did it again. The NRA took center stage in the fight for our reorganization in federal court in Dallas. Although our case for reorganization was dismissed on May 11, there are many positive developments that bode well for the Association and its plans for the future.
Strong and Secure
First and foremost, the legal decision has no impact on our staffing, programs or Second Amendment advocacy. All of our work continues and remains as vital as ever. We will continue to defend constitutional freedoms, promote firearms education, and advocate for and represent our members in all appropriate forums.
This outcome has no impact on all the divisions and affiliates associated with the NRA. Our programs, political activity, charitable endeavors, and Second Amendment advocacy all continue. We remain strong and secure.
Second, the New York Attorney General and others that aligned against the NRA in opposition to the NRA’s reorganization plan were unsuccessful in their effort to derail us. As you may have read, they sought to dismiss the NRA’s Chapter 11 reorganization filing with prejudice or, in the alternative, appointment of a court-appointed trustee. They wanted to see someone else take control of the Association’s business and financial affairs.
None of that happened. The court in Dallas did not appoint a trustee or impose any other form of oversight on the NRA. Instead, the court dismissed our reorganization filing without prejudice, meaning the NRA has the option to file a new case in the future if the need arises. Importantly, there was no financial watchdog (an examiner) appointed, as sought by some.
The enemies of the Association want to claim the NRA filing was in “bad faith” and the NRA should be assessed penalties. But, that’s not what the judge found. On May 14, the judge clarified that he did not hold that the NRA reorganization filing was in “bad faith.”
In summary, we are no longer in bankruptcy court in Dallas – and our mission moves forward.
Our leadership team remains intact. Those outcomes are far from the “doom and gloom” predicted by the so-called experts, many in the far-left media, and gun control advocates. Don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper: we are not going anywhere. We’re fighting as hard as ever in defense of your freedoms.
Our plans are not finalized, but we remain committed to exploring a move of all or part of the NRA’s business operations to Texas – home to more than 400,000 NRA members. In fact, the court observed that we could still accomplish those goals outside of bankruptcy court. In other words, our business operations and plans for the future are not affected by these developments.
The Record Reflects: Committed to Good Governance
During a 12-day court hearing that occurred over approximately four weeks, the NRA established that it complies with board policies and accounting controls, displaced “insiders” who abused the Association, and accepted reimbursements for costs voluntarily determined to be excess benefits.
The hearing proceedings focused, in significant measure, on the NRA’s compliance efforts and the organization’s renewed commitment to good governance.
In an opinion, dated May 11, 2021, the Hon. Harlin D. Hale, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Texas, wrote, “In short, the testimony…suggests that the NRA now understands the importance of compliance. Outside of bankruptcy, the NRA can pay its creditors, continue to fulfill its mission, continue to improve its governance and internal controls, contest dissolution in the NYAG Enforcement Action, and pursue the legal steps necessary to leave New York.”
Of course, very little of this was publicly reported.
As I told the media, the NRA remains committed to its members and our plan for the future. This fight is about our 5 million members – those who stand courageously with the NRA in defense of constitutional freedom.
Let this be clear: we are an organization that remains committed to its course, even as we confront our adversaries in New York and beyond. The NRA will keep fighting, as we’ve done for 150 years.
Confronting a Political Agenda – and Fighting for Freedom
That means the NRA continues to confront NYAG Letitia James in her attempt to dissolve the NRA.
The NYAG wants to close our doors as part of a lawsuit she filed on August 6, 2020. In summer 2018, then NYAG candidate James called the NRA a “criminal enterprise” and “terrorist organization.” Her subsequent pursuit of the NRA has been characterized by many legal experts and constitutional scholars as a gross weaponization of legal and regulatory power. Even the ACLU recognized that.
As several NRA board members noted, the record now establishes that NRA members can have great confidence in this institution and its plans for the future. We will work with members, vendors, and other supporters to continue the fight for freedom. And we will never shrink from the tough and principled stands we take on behalf of our law-abiding 5 million members.
It all comes down to protecting your constitutional freedoms. The NRA has never shied away from those fights. And I promise you, that’s a fight we’ll always take on.
Wayne LaPierre
The NRA will never get another dime from me as long as Wayne LaPierre has anything to do with the NRA, up to and including just a peon membership just like mine. Not renewing until he’s gone forever.
I agree! NOT ONE MORE NICKEL till they FIRE WAYNE LAPIERRE!! ..
#NOMN
Hell, not even penny…
Snowflakes. Send that $ you’re yappin about to the DNC.
You bet send those dollars, Wayne’s poverty stricken attorney buddies are virtually destitute after their patriotic litigation efforts.
“(thus wasting somewhere between $15 and $20 million in legal fees)”
And be sure to send your contributions to Donald Trump’s slush fund, he needs some walking around money in addition to legal fees for the coming criminal indictments.
And Steve Bannon really needs help pursuing these election audits, gosh darn, it’s expensive! His Chinese billionaire buddies are feeling the pinch of the bitcoin crash.
Sometime the marks never do figure it out, until they’re out of money… But there’s always another, ready to “invest”.
If Wayne will personally put all his money and retirement into a fund as a surety that he will not misuse the money we send and that he will forfeit all of it to be divvied up among the membership if a NY court dissolves NRA then I will be happy to send him some money.
Otherwise, GOA and all the others are a better place to send our money. Time to send GOA some more cash since they don’t waste it sending me BS like the latest crap from NRA. Honestly, it looked like some Publishers Clearing House low IQ crap, complete with stickers and lists and other junk that a ten year old would find insulting.
nobody much cares what Wayne has to say….
I don’t care about the NRA. Wayne can suck it
No one in the gun rights sphere would even care about Wayne’s spending if the NRA was actually winning cases and successfully pushing the political ball forward. The NRA is a bit like that quarterback who has a ton of controversy but still sucks. It would be a different story if he was actually winning games.
I disagree; I would object to Wayne using my membership dues to buy his bespoke suits, and pay for his sidepiece’ apartment, and reward his buddies with lucrative (and useless) “consulting contracts”, etc., if they won EVERY SINGLE CASE, and took consistent and 2A supportive positions (instead of, oh, say . . . SUPPORTING bump stock bans???). It is inappropriate, dishonest, and Wayne is a goniff.
Couple that with the completely irrational and inconsistent record of the NRA in its “advocacy”, and my decision to let my membership lapse (almost ten years ago) seems better every time I consider it.
If the NRA would go back to being America’s pre-eminent firearm safety training organization – which is what they were for many years – I’d reconsider joining. Until then? I wouldn’t go back even if Wayne the Thief were gone – how do I know they wouldn’t just find another light-fingered unindicted felon??
I’m surprised Wayne hasn’t found a way to bankrupt the NRA so a bankruptcy proceeding would succeed.
I guess that takes too many $2000 suits when the membership suddenly grew last year due to the gun buying pandemic caused by the Chicom-Fauci virus and the BLM/Antifa riots.
“goniff“
Oy vey!
What’s the matter, Minor IQ, feelin’ the need to hate on Jews?????? Seems on brand for you, being a “Progressive” and all.
As it happens, I’m Catholic. But I practiced law in LA for 42 years, so I am quite familiar with Jews and Jewish culture, and speak Yiddish slang better than many Jews I know. You’ll need to find another reason to try to throw shade. If it helps, I’m white, Anglo-Saxon, Christian (was an active, practicing Catholic until the Church decided that it didn’t need to deal with the problem of priests diddling little kids), libertarian/conservative, and have 4 kids. There oughta be enough ammunition in there for you to cast slurs – since you sure as HELL can’t debate me.
Ron: You, my good fellow, are spot on. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I mean, you are right, as long as things are going my way I will turn a blind eye to the elephant in the room.
Wayne’s kinda like Colin Kaepernick then..
He’s riding the NRA right into the ground, nose first. But don’t worry, when the dust settles, he’ll be fine.
@rc. And THAT’S what really pisses me off. LaPierre has a $17 million “golden parachute” clause in his contract with the NRA.
The only fools in this fiasco are the ones still supporting this criminal liberal group!
NOT ONE MORE NICKEL to NRA until they FIRE WAYNE LAPIERRE.
He is the root of the problems at NRA. He just cost the members $20 million dollars with that bogus, poorly thought out bankruptcy attempt.
FIRE WAYNE LAPIERRE and return legitimacy and integrity back to NRA. Until then, NOT ONE MORE NICKEL. #NOMN
Too bad there isn’t some way to ensure that LaPierre doesn’t get the $17 million “golden parachute” deal that’s (unfortunately) part of his contract when he leaves (is kicked out of) the NRA.
When Wayne leaves, I’ll rejoin.
At this point, they need an independent audit of the past five years at least. Wayne isn’t a one-man show. There has to be a very large group of people within the NRA that has enabled this behavior. They ALL have to go.
Yeah…what that Dude said !!!
I regret that lifetime membership more now than ever. At least I get a nifty magazine out of it.
As I have long said…Saying just enough to keep this tit-for-tat Gun Control ball bouncing is money in the pocket for many people. And sad to say…No better example of money in the pocket is the NRA leadership. There is so much racist and genocidal dirt on Gun Control that by now Gun Control should be as popular as a noose. But when obvious big money dangles in front of those trusted to be on the side of the 2A well follow the money downhill. In the case of the NRA it’s your money.
Well, you know what I think…never mind I already wasted more oxygen typing this than LaPierre’s worth.
Boy howdy, that Wayne is about as full of shit as a Christmas turkey.
Why am I reminded of an old guy saying “…they also said that artificial sweeteners were safe, WMD’s were in Iraq and Anna Nicole married for love…”
The movie was ‘Meh’, but the scene was *excellent*…
Shooter – Levon Helm as Mr. Rate.
Helm died not long back.
Anyways – Is “Paper patching” an actual thing, as mentioned in ‘Shooter’?
Paper patching is 100% real and was common in the late 1800’s. It’s still a thing today. It’s not as popular in the US as elsewhere though.
As discussed in the movie to prevent striations on the bullet? Possible I suppose but I doubt it would actually work. The pressure in a gun is just too high and the ass-end of the bullet would almost certainly deform to the point that it would “fit” the barrel. The idea that it would expand just enough to get a good seal but not enough to have striations impressed on it through the paper strains credulity past the breaking point.
That said, a smaller than bore diameter round could be pushed down a barrel without making contact with the lands/grooves via a sabot…
A side note, was Helm also a musician and a member of The Band?
I feel like he did some work with The Grateful Dead too.
Yep, he was in The Band.
“The night they drove old Dixie down“
And you may remember the line “Levon loves his money” from another hit song as well.
Check out his ‘Midnight Ramble” videos.
All is well. And Steiner’s army will break the blockade of Berlin.
Best comment so far!
Self delusion, epic fail!
As others have eloquently stated, Wayne Robert LaPierre, Jr can SUCK IT. I’m not giving that organization 1¢!! Not when by all appearances for every dollar, 95¢ goes to everything else other than fighting for my rights. WLPs suits, private aircraft, yacht vacations, NRA lawyer fees and the endless list is NOT where I want my money spent nor did I continue to allow it.
I wish it wasn’t that way as I can easily afford any type of NRA I wanted, but when you don’t agree with how your money is spent, taking away the one thing they will notice, MONEY, is my ace in the hole.
NRA Membership to Wayne LaPierre: NO IT ISN’T
The NRA is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Unfortunately there is no one to step up and fill the gap.
BSon,
I disagree. If SAF, GOA or several other organizations had HALF the budget of the NRA (hell, if they even had half what the members spend on Wayne’s damn SUITS!!!), they would be very effective. I suspect it’s a combination of visibility and “brand” (which they are rapidly depleting – and this will make it worse), inertia, POTG-inclined people tend to be loyal, etc.
As it is, GOA and SAF have made more of a positive impact on the ACTUAL rights of gun owners over the last few years than the NRA. What they lack is the resources to do the kind of PR that the NRA can roll out – if they chose to roll it out intelligently, for the right causes.
Like I said above – the NRA USED to be the pre-eminent gun and gun safety training organization in the world. Oh, they did other things, as well, but their training programs were, in my experience, solid, well-thought-out, generally well presented, and I thought effective. Their first major foray into the lobbying limelight, at least that I remember, was their support of the AWB – go to jail, do not pass ‘go’, do not collect $200. Since then, they’ve been inconsistent, largely ineffective (except that their support, I believe, made it much easier for Trump to push his “bump stock” ban), and spent a TON of OUR money . . . mostly paying for Wayne’s sidepiece and suits.
And getting rid of Wayne the Thief is not the answer – or at least not a sufficient answer. I want to know, before I rejoin, what assurances I have that we’re not going to get another Wayne the Thief. A REAL, independent Board is a necessity. Regular audits by outside accountants, a strict limit on compensation to the new “boss” (Wayne, interestingly, was never President of the NRA – he put someone else in that slot, and he, as EVP, ran everything) and other members of senior management, etc.
In the meantime, my experience is that the NRA classes in my area are overbooked, not conducted NEARLY often enough, and not available at enough locations. I would like to see the NRA devote even a fraction of the resources to that mission that they devote to Wayne getting suits, sidepiece and camera time.
If the NRA REALLY reforms, I’ll come back, and be a loyal and enthusiastic member. Otherwise, I’d rather send my money to an organization that doesn’t view me as their private ATM.
As long as they maintain their training and development programs, child safety education, target development, and annual conventions I see nothing wrong with maintaining basic membership. Through the years I have benefitted from their training and development so I can’t complain about that.
They need to stay the Hell out of politics and litigation. I’m glad other organizations have come in to play that can handle the litigation part of the game.
Hear, hear!!! Although I would also like them to clean up the swamp of corruption that Wayne created. Get him out, get real safeguards and controls, and I’ll be a huge supporter.
I find it ironic he puts this out on the 35th anniversary of the implementation of the MG ban and the Hughes Amendment that WLP helped usher in.
ok…..
Really? All I keep getting from him are emails indicating that they want more money. Every three days like clockwork it is another one.
Which part of “you let us down” was not understood?
Must we use less polite language?
Caderyn,
Truly?? I think he’ll leave if, and only if, he croaks and is carried out feet first, or frog-marched out in handcuffs (which I would pay substantial money to watch). Wayne’s got a good grift going, and grifters don’t give up a good grift unless they are forced to.
Wayne LaPierre is in a deep state of denial that nobody is interested in the NRA with him running it.
Every time they call I tell them I will not return to the NRA until Wayne LaPierre is gone!
I knew it, I just knew it when WLP and some of his executive cronies cashed out their NRA pensions. This keeps their pensions safe if the shit hits the fan.
One major reason WLP will fight to keep his job: when/if he leaves all those houses of cards he’s built will come crashing down.
It’s all about Wayne’s ego. He’s delusional enough to think he can right the ship and save his legacy.
I want them to get involved with legislation and defeat it. Thats why I joined. I just dont like seeing my donations, which could have been spent on my family, going for cocktail hour, Wayne’s suits and mansions, or endless nights at five star hotels on the expense accounts. I’m not too keen on financing their wealthy lifestyles while I live very modestly.
I have stopped giving t the NRA even though I am a Endowment Life Member. The current leadership needs to step down. They have seriously damaged the reputation and ability of the NRA to do the one thing that should be its primary focus. I have redirected my giving to the 2nd Amendment Foundation and Texas Gun Owners of America. It is past time for Wayne to g.
How cum no one has made one of those “Hitler in the bunker” vids?
Why did the NRA remain incorporated in New York? If LWP can’t satisfactorily answer this question then incompetence is the answer.
Layne WaPierre?
Dr. Strangelove (7/8) Movie CLIP – Kong Rides the Bomb (1964) HD – YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6WD7B_I_9c
Sad watching the wheels come off the bus like this.
Miner said:
“…be sure to send your contributions to Donald Trump…”
Thanks for the tip….although I’m sure your donations went to DJSP (dementia joe, senile pedophile)
I’d like to leave a comment about Wayne LaPierre, but I’m not sure that I want to dispense the kind of profanity that such a comment would require. So.. I guess I’ll let it go…
Let the NRA die.
As an endowment member I am absolutely fed up with the NRA fund raising snail mail that must cost at least 2 bucks. Every 2 weeks another one comes. They finally stopped calling me asking for money. But the mail continues. National Rifleman magazine has decayed in content and they should stop the presses and save the money. Lapierre is determined to sink with the ship and is now drilling holes in the hull as fast as he can. The NRA Board is combat ineffective. And I will not give one penney to the effort in play to raise funds for legal action by a current Board member to petition the judge to listen to a new scheme to save the organization.
Let the NRA die. Hopefully some in NRA leadership will go to prison. We the members were looked at cash cows, always ready to poney up hundreds at Waynes call. No more. Even if Lapierre resigns the Board that allowed his corruption remains. Its time to bury the NRA.
Fk WLP.
Just mailed my letter of resignation, life membership. Wayne can go to hell, and take a few more narcissists with him. Chris Cox, are you reading this?