USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- My name is Marita Dell’Aquila. I am a Patriot life member of the NRA, a Founding Member of the Hunter’s Leadership Forum, a member of the Women’s Leadership Forum, and a member of the Ring of Freedom Heston Society. I write this as a concerned member who is seeking your help to enact leadership change at the NRA.
No doubt you have read the recent reports of the organization’s unnecessary spending and misuse of donor funds. My husband and I, as well as a multitude of other donors, members and “trusted Board Members“, feel betrayed by the very people who were given the fiduciary responsibility to spend our contributions wisely to defend our Second Amendment rights.
Private jets to the Bahama’s and over $240,000 of Italian suits purchased at a Beverly Hills boutique is not what any of us imagined was transpiring behind the scenes at the NRA!
Additionally, it is alleged that one or more top executives at the NRA are “double dipping.” That is, they are receiving payment in the form of kickbacks or some other compensation in return for sending business to Ackerman-McQueen, the Mercury Group, etc. [and now the Brewer Lawfirm at a $1,000,000+ a month]. This behavior is outrageous, unethical, and could very well be illegal!
My husband and I are spearheading a grassroots effort to force a much-needed change of leadership. Wayne LaPierre must realize that the good of the organization and the ultimate survival of the NRA transcend the personal ambitions of any one person, including his own. We have contacted numerous donors – such as you[both big and small] – who have named the NRA in their estate planning; made significant cash contributions; are corporate sponsors; and/or advertise in NRA publications. Money is the motivating factor and we strongly believe that waiving the “carrot” that we all hold will be instrumental in our efforts to demand the change that we seek. Some have already changed their estate planning documents, some have withheld cash donations, and some have bailed out altogether until the NRA cleans up their act!
The plan is to write a pointed letter to every board member, outlining these changes, and listing the donors who demand the changes, and indicating the donor contribution amount that will be withdrawn if the following demands are ignored:
- Wayne LaPierre, Executive Directors, Managing Directors, Officers resign & Josh Powell is fired;
- Chris Cox is immediately re-instated and elevated to CEO and Executive Vice President;
- The board of directors is reduced in size from 76 to 30 members;
- Carolyn Meadows (President), Charles Cotton (First Vice President) and Willes Lee (2nd Vice President) resign from these positions;
- Lt. Col. Allen West is appointed President;
- All Presidents (past and future) of the NRA are restricted from remaining on the board of directors;
- The September board meeting currently planned in Anchorage, Alaska, which includes a cruise, is immediately canceled and the location moved to NRA headquarters or a city in the central United States.
We believe the only way to stop this madness is to threaten to withdraw our planned giving and cash donations unless and until there is leadership change at the top. I am writing to ask if you agree. And, if you do, may I ask for your support in this effort? May I add your name to the list of donors who are willing to continue to donate to the NRA but ONLY if the changes outlined above are implemented?
Please visit the website that we created:
It summarizes the above and includes a petition that we will send to the Board of Directors.
This is all so sad for all of us. But, thankfully there are other organizations who will fight for our 2nd amendment rights and use our money judiciously should our plea for a change and re-righting of the ship falls of deaf ears.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. My hope is that we can turn this around and save the NRA from its own demise.
Sincerely,
Marita Dell’Aquila
Microsoft just become the world’s most value company. How many members on the Board of Directors? I count 14 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/corporate-governance/board-of-directors.aspx). How can the NRA justify the number of BOD members they have now? Are the positions honorary? They have certainly failed to oversee the executives. They are also not performing their fiduciary duties to ensure the money is spent wisely.
The current number of board members is ridiculous. The proposed change to 30 is a vast improvement. If can a trillion dollar multi-national company has only 14 members, how can the NRA justify more members?
About the idea of bringing Chris Cox back: “Former NRA lobbyist Chris Cox launches new consulting firm” at https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/chris-cox-consulting-firm-1581639
POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY, I am a NRA Life Endowment member and have not a will not donate any money to the NRA until they have changed their Washington political ways!! All of them need to leave with no compensation at all!! They have allowed themselves to be corrupted by the same SWAMP CREATURES THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO FIGHT!! I now support GOA and I am now a Life Member with them and MAY THEY NOT BE CORRUPTED AS WELL!!
If she were to replace Chris Cox’s name with Jeff Knox’s name I would give her proposal more attention. As it stands one must ask, for how many years did Chris Cox watch Wayne LaPierre drive NRA into the ditch and say nothing? President Jimmy Carter once asked something like “If being a Christian was a crime, would a prosecutor be able to collect enough evidence to convict you? In the case of both LaPierre and Cox, the evidence to convict them of being RKBA supporters just isn’t there. Further, when are we going to hear a credible explanation of… Read more »
Considering how crucial these times are for defending law-abiding citizen’s gun rights, you would believe we are being sabotaged. Our opponents are gloating.
Marita,
Thank you for taking the initiative. The organization needs to be saved. Who ever heard of some of these benefits? Lapierre sounds like hitler or ede amin. No more funds period. I am a 50 year lifer so I can’t cancel but it is time to empty the trash and move forward.
Had me interested right up to the point of “Chris Cox is immediately re-instated and elevated to CEO and Executive Vice President”
Chris Cox not only supports but advocates for Emergency Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) better known as RED FLAG LAWS. He has no place in the fight for the 2nd amendment (or any other gun rights) if he pushes for these highly unconstitutional assaults on the Bill Of Rights. WLP may be a crooked and shady as a congressman, but Cox is an enemy of the POTG and The Constitution of The United States.
@ GMB I agree with you, not one penny more until they get this act together and do away with the current band of misusers. I have donated enough during the years to be able to say this. I won’t contribute if they leave the voting to only life members, either. I never became a life member because I don’t know how long life is, it could end tomorrow. I received my second notice for renewal but it went the same place the first notice went.
5 million (or 4, or 3 or 2?) NRA members and then there is the “I’m pissed OFF committee ” of a hundred or so that regularly spouts their choice words, or not so choice words, on forums like this one for the rest of us. I could quote the constitution or the Bible on this page and these same “concerned “individuals would find something about it to complain about. THE NRA has become so relevant because it became a political player. If it had not, no one would give them the time of day. With politics, you have sides… Read more »
I like most of the plan, especially getting rid of LaPierre. Good luck and when LaPierre is gone, I, along with hundreds of thousands of others who stopped supporting his NRA B.S., will be back.