What’s Really Going On Inside NRA Operations?
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 4 months ago
Scott Bach writing at Ammoland.
The purpose of this column is to explain what has recently transpired at NRA, and to refute the false narratives being spread about the Association. Responsible board members have remained silent until now for legal reasons, but I believe what follows should be said.
Over a year ago, as NRA’s former treasurer was departing, Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre called for a renewed emphasis on transparency and compliance with best practices for the Association and all of its vendors. Among other things, every vendor was required to provide extra detail backing up their invoices, and additional levels of detail on NRA operations were included on the Association’s tax returns.
Can you see where this is going right off the bat? This is at least initially about some big ole’ bad boy who was the “former treasurer.” What the NRA really needed after this bad boy’s departure was a major accounting. Wayne was just the man to bring that accountability.
LaPierre’s efforts proved to be prescient. Officials in several jurisdictions began targeting the NRA, investigating how legal loopholes might be used to permanently shut down the Association. But it turns out that LaPierre’s good governance program may very well have created legal impediments to that, blocking efforts to harm NRA.
Ironically, some of those same transparency measures that may protect NRA from hostile public officials were spun by the anti-gun media to fuel a false narrative about NRA’s financial health and spending habits. The media painted a fake portrait of a sputtering organization in decline, led by selfish executives lavishly spending member monies. That the media should present such a false narrative is not surprising. The surprising part is that some gun owners actually believed them.
Right. Wayne didn’t really spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on suits and clothing, and he didn’t get an apartment for his sweetie, and there wasn’t a sweet deal with Marion Hammer to give her money she never earned and for which she did no work, and there wasn’t a deal to funnel monies to cronies who were loyal to Wayne. It’s all just a myth that some stupid NRA members believed. Not one shred of evidence to refute any of the data. It just is what he says it is because he says it.
In any event, LaPierre’s initiative to ensure that every NRA vendor provide extra invoice detail required cooperation from the vendors themselves. Apparently, all but one vendor fully complied. That vendor was among the NRA’s largest, a public relations firm deeply embedded in the NRA’s highest-profile, most sensitive operations. The vendor was so deeply entrenched, for so long, that it apparently had developed independent financial relationships with several NRA officials – including former NRA President Oliver North. Instead of simply providing the required additional invoice detail, the vendor apparently resisted.
So now the narrative has switched to the big ole’ bad Oliver North and the company that had the right relationship with none other than Wayne himself. It’s everybody’s fault by Wayne.
By the way, I’m no fan of Oliver North either. His assertion that civilians have no business owning “assault weapons” like AK-47s proves he was never anything but a Fudd, perfect in all ways for leadership of the NRA. Oliver North can go pound sand.
As an aside, to those that know him, LaPierre is actually noted for his modest everyday wardrobe. As the public face of over 100 million gun owners, appropriate clothing for high-profile appearances is a justifiable corporate expense. The cost over the 15 years cited in the information dump was less than 0.007 % (7/1000ths of one percent) of the nearly $4 billion in revenue LaPierre helped raise during the same period to preserve our Second Amendment rights.
His modest everyday wardrobe. And note how Wayne helped raise the money in NRA coffers. It’s not about the members, but about Wayne.
LaPierre has consistently done the right thing for NRA, not because it was easy or convenient, but because it was right. He has not been the problem; he has been the solution.
“Consistently done the right thing for the NRA.” How about for the members? Let’s see – support the assault weapons ban, support red flag laws, support (and give idea for) the bump stock ban? Is that enough?
Well, you’ve seen enough of this sycophant. This is a disgusting and loathsome missive, full of lies, myths, deflections, blame, and misdirects.
The author ought to be ashamed. So should Wayne.
Prior:
On August 1, 2019 at 6:43 am, H said:
North is still a step above many if not most NRA board members by understanding the concepts of fiduciary duty and personal liability.
John Richardson has chronicled some new developments on his No Lawyers – Only Guns and Money blog; in chronological order:
New allegations about William Brewer, the outside counsel who’s billing the NRA $2 million/month, which include harassing and threatening the accounting department, and gaining enough control over the accounts payable function to put his bills first, causing a cash flow crisis in 2018 which imperiled the bi-weekly payroll.
Notes in “Does Anyone In Fairfax Believe In Due Diligence?” that only was the former CFO an embezzler, it appears that Mille Hallow also is one.
She’s “served as Wayne LaPierre’s right hand since 1996. According to her bio with the National Foundation for Women Legislators where she serves as Secretary, she is the Managing Director, Executive Operations.” A convicted felon, if the dot connecting is correct.
And David Codrea is on vacation but published a short Tweet, “I am away from internet and unable to verify but this is important if it pans out. A credible Source says a highly placed NRA exec has been offered immunity by the New York AG. @aarmark.” We are expecting developments like that, the new NY AG openly holds the NRA to be a terrorist organization, and everything we’ve heard says she can take it down and probably imprison a lot of its leadership without needing the slightest bit of prosecutorial abuse.
The blatherings of NPC board members like Scott Bach are irrelevant, right now the fate of the NRA is in the hands of the NY State and D.C. AGs, and probably the IRS and DoJ.
On August 1, 2019 at 9:07 am, scott s. said:
I’ve never understood how LaPierre became the indispensable man. The NRA BOD has always seemed to me like window dressing so I don’t bother voting.
On August 1, 2019 at 12:54 pm, moe mensale said:
“As the public face of over 100 million gun owners, appropriate clothing for high-profile appearances is a justifiable corporate expense.”
Again with the clothes? Sorry Scott, but you’re sadly mistaken. Personal clothing is not and has never been a justifiable corporate expense. Unless the clothing cannot be worn outside of LaPierre’s NRA duties or is some form of protective clothing or some type of company uniform it’s considered personal clothing and not deductible, regardless of its cost. If the NRA is going to deduct it then it must treat it as additional compensation to LaPierre. Read the tax code. How much more of your screed is a lie?
On August 1, 2019 at 1:15 pm, June J said:
“As the public face of over 100 million gun owners, appropriate clothing for high-profile appearances is a justifiable corporate expense.”
1. WLP is the public for of around 5 million NRA members. Obviously the other 95% of gun owners don’t need his face.
2. If an individual paid a million dollars a year cannot afford to purchase his own clothing…perhaps you need someone better able to manage their own personal finances.
On August 3, 2019 at 4:50 pm, Badger said:
Deny everything, admit nothing, make counter-accusations.
A tactic that has been around for a long time; no great intellect needed, little kids come up with it all the time since, ever.
On August 3, 2019 at 5:11 pm, H said:
Badger: There’s an acronym for this, DARVO: “Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender”
On February 20, 2021 at 3:14 pm, Daniel Cline said:
There has to be openness to all rerecords and an independent investigation to the conduct of the leaders and board members who knew what and when.
.007 of $4B is a lot if my math is right $28M WOW. The NRA is the strongest and largest 2A force in the world and to allow it to be run this way with no recourse will be its demise. I’am ashamed to what information is being held back not to mention the results that could come from an audit.
Please all board members do your job and represent the 100,000’s of NRA members and not a few who are in charge. As of today all my moneys will go to other 2A organisations and I will continue go to the several local NRA rallies but will not participate in the auctions or fund raising till the books are opened and satisfaction of improprieties
are made clear. I have been I life member many years and a past business alliance member. One of the proudest things I have done in my life is send my check to be a life member but sad to say I am regretting that decision.