Bullet Vote Frank Tait for NRA Board of Directors 2022

Frank Tait for NRA Board of Directors 2022
Frank Tait for NRA Board of Directors 2022

Virginia – (Ammoland.com)- It’s election time at NRA again, and this year I’m bullet voting for Frank Tait. I hope you’ll do the same.

Frank is the only person on the ballot who has consistently called for and worked toward, full accountability on the part of the executives, staff, and Board. He introduced a resolution at the 2019 Members’ Meeting, calling for a vote of “No Confidence” in Wayne La’Pierre and his enablers on the Board, and he has introduced a similar resolution at each Members’ Meeting since.

While there are a few other candidates on the ballot that I like and think might do the right thing, given the right circumstances, Frank Tait is the only one that I’m sure will take a leading role in working for reform.

Bullet Vote Frank Tait

By casting a ballot with only Frank Tait’s name marked, it leverages that vote, improving the odds of Frank’s election, and reducing the chances that any votes I might cast for other candidates might help push Frank down in the overall rankings, costing him a seat.

Realistically, all but 2 of the candidates on the ballot this year will get seats. There are 30 candidates for 25 seats, but two additional seats have opened up recently, with the passing of long-time Director John Cushman of New York, and the resignation of Todd Rathner. Both of those seats will be filled from this slate of candidates, based on vote totals. Then at the Members’ Meeting in Houston in May, there will be an election for the 76th Director, from among the three candidates remaining.

The 25 regular seats being filled, are for 3-year terms. Cushman’s seat has, I believe, 2 years remaining on it, and Rathner’s seat comes back up next year. The 76th Director seat is a 1-year term, so it too will be up again next year.

Of course, all of this assumes that there will still be an NRA to have Board of Director elections after this year, which is not guaranteed by any means. New York Attorney General Letitia James has put together a very strong case against Wayne LaPierre and the Board that keeps reelecting him. She is pushing for the total dissolution of the Association, and that outcome is a real possibility. The case will be heard in a New York court, with a New York judge, because NRA was originally incorporated in New York, and despite some Directors over the years, pushing for the Association to move its charter to a more gun-friendly state, that has never been done.

The trial has been delayed, but is expected to take place toward the end of this year.

Some members of the Board of Directors have publicly declared that there’s “nothing to” the AG’s claims. They say this is just a politically-motivated hatchet job, by a gun-hating, NRA-hating political extremist, and that the NRA is going to skate through the trial with no trouble at all.

That’s a flat-out lie.

While it’s true that AG James is an NRA-hating, political extremist, and it is her hatred of guns and the NRA that motivated this suit, it’s also true that there have been serious problems at the top of the NRA.

Wayne LaPierre and his closest allies and advisors have been engaging in very shady and self-serving business practices, lining their own pockets at the expense of the NRA, its members, and its associated organizations, particularly the NRA Foundation.

2022 NRA Board of Director Sample Ballot Frank Tait
2022 NRA Board of Director Sample Ballot

Wayne LaPierre has admitted under oath, to at least a half-dozen actions that should have cost him his job, yet not only has the Board renewed his contract over and over again, in spite of full knowledge of these transgressions, the Executive Compensation Committee (comprised of the President and the two Board vice presidents) has increased his base salary and compensation package, and given him bonuses of $300,000 to $500,000 each year, for the past several years. And they’ve done this while major NRA programs have folded, NRA revenue has collapsed, and the majority of NRA staff has been laid off, while the remaining staff has had their pay cut drastically.

Anyone who tells you that there’s nothing to the allegations is either woefully misinformed and extremely gullible, or they’re intentionally lying to you. Those are the only two possibilities.

There are a much higher number of new candidates on the ballot this year. Typically there are at least 23 or 24 incumbents running for the 25 seats, but so many Directors have resigned, declined to run again, or were not renominated by the Nominating Committee, that this year, only 19 of the 30 candidates appear to be incumbents, and several of those are people who initially failed to be elected, but were later appointed to a seat as other Directors resigned from the Board. In fact, of the 25 Directors who were elected to 3-year seats in 2019, with terms expiring in 2022, only 15 are on the ballot this year, while 10 of 25 either resigned or were not renominated.

It’s unlikely that Frank Tait will be able to affect real change on the Board, but better to have him there fighting on the inside, along with Judge Phil Journey, the only current member of the Board willing to publicly criticize LaPierre and the current regime.

There is supposed to be a Members’ Meeting in Houston on May 28, 2022, so we’re gearing up to get as many angry and frustrated members there as possible, to try and wake the majority of this Board from their current comatose state. I hope to see you there – if they don’t figure out a way to cancel and reschedule it again, as they did in ‘20 and ‘21.

Until then, please vote for Frank Tait, and urge your friends to do likewise.

And whatever you do, don’t give any votes to the LaPierre loyalists who keep defending him, especially past Presidents and current officers like Willes Lee, Marion Hammer, Ron Schmeits, Sandy Froman, and Jim Porter. They’re all almost certainly going to win seats, but having them come out low in the polling might send a message.


About Jeff Knox:

Jeff Knox is a second-generation political activist and director of The Firearms Coalition. His father Neal Knox led many of the early gun rights battles for your right to keep and bear arms. Read Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War.

The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition has offices in Buckeye, Arizona and Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org.

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warfinge

The NRA is dead to me UNTIL they reform the leadership in some meaningful way.

Last edited 2 years ago by warfinge
JSNMGC

“The National Rifle Association filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday and said it would eventually reincorporate in Texas . . . “

“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in a tweet, celebrated the announcement: ‘Welcome to Texas — a state that safeguards the 2nd Amendment.’”

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/15/texas-nra-bankruptcy-fraud/

Wild Bill

The answer lies in the Texas statue regarding incorporation. The current NRA has such an oddball structure and internal rules that keep LaPiere in power, that it might not come up to Texas statutory standards. So a NRA trying to incorporate, here, may have to make some changes. Hopefully.

Russn8r

Never happen, TEX. You know damn well Cuck Abbott & Lucky LaPierre have been sucking off each other for years.

Wild Bill

The only one that LaPierre will be working against is Frank Tait. So the only one that I am voting for is Frank Tait.
A Frank Tait victory could even be a turning point.

Frank Tait

Thank you

john

Funny the NRA is afraid of the NYS attorney general It is time for the deck to be shuffled A new embodiment with twenty first century smarts running the NRA would be refreshing.

BadBilly21

Mr Tait——If you can acquire and release the detailed billing records for all legal expenses paid by all NRA entities in the past 24 months you’ve got my vote.

Wild Bill

I don’t think that he has access to that information, but I am going to vote for him, only, because he was not nominated by the nominating committees, and if he is successful he might be able to get that information. And he would be a thorn in La Pierre’s side.

Frank Tait

And get restitution for any overbillings

PistolGrip44

As a “Former” Life Member, the NRA can go pound sand!!! All my support goes to GOA, FPC, SAF and other such groups that actually Defend the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. NOT the nra.

Gaffer

At this point in the annual NRA BOD election my gut feeling is go with Frank Tait and pray for an honest vote count. As an old man of nearly 90 and NRA life member for many decades I am saddened by the NRA and its leadership. I have written to the entire board on several occasions am shocked by the few that bother to reply. It is way past time to change the NRA from a good ol’ boy club to an organization that it was meant to be. Vote Frank Tait!

Frank Tait

Thank you

HK

My ballot will be mailed today, with one vote (for Mr. Tait).

Frank Tait

Thank you

StuckInNY

I reached out to an acquaintance formerly on the Board and asked them for reformers; two names came up including yours. You earned my vote.

Frank Tait

Thank you!

Eighty

I will be doing the same. Thanks Jeff, for this article.

Frank Tait

Thank you

Roverray

The NRA’s bylaws need to change so WE can vote for all the positions. I will not give the organization any money over my dues until this happens. I’m tired paying into Wayne’s slush fund.

Gaffer

As an old NRA member I have for the past half dozen years never voted for more than 5 people. That has not worked so will try just Mr. Tait.

Last edited 2 years ago by Gaffer
Frank Tait

Thank you

JPM

How has voting for the NRA board of directors worked for you so far? If you think voting for anyone for the NRA board of directors will change anything, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’ll sell you cheap. LaPierre and his toadies could teach the Democrat vote counters from the last Presidential election a thing or two about corruption and how to fix an election. The NRA, as it is now, is a lost cause. When the house is on fire and you cannot put the fire out, the only thing to do is let it burn and then… Read more »

Wild Bill

Not voting for the one guy that they do not approve of only lets them have everything their own way. And it does not cost me anything.

Frank Tait

Thank you

JSNMGC

Jeff, Thanks for the information. Ronnie Barrett, Chairman of the Nominating committee, did not include Frank Tait in the list of 30 people the Nominating Committee selected as being “the best qualified to meet the needs of the Association at this time.” That may say more about Ronnie than it does Frank. Frank appears to have some corporate governance experience. https://taitnra.com/ Is Frank interested in joining this discussion? I’d like to know his thoughts on: Dramatically reducing the size of the Board; Working to get an experienced publicly traded company senior executive on the Board who has deep experience in… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by JSNMGC
DIYinSTL

Add:

  • Include a (No)confidence vote for the Executive V.P. on the annual ballot, even if it is non-binding.
JSNMGC

Its unfortunate Frank didn’t join the discussion.

I was interested in why he wants a massive BOD of 25 people (versus 7 or 9) and would have liked to hear his views on the other points as well.

I doubt the NRA can be saved and, if it can, it doesn’t look like Frank is the guy.

JSNMGC

Jeff, You could have: Let Frank know you were writing an article endorsing him and that it would be posted on Ammoland. Monitored the site after you posted the article to see if anyone responded. You posted your article publicly, so I posted my questions publicly. More transparency into the views of NRA board members would be helpful.   “I don’t know where you get the idea that Frank wants a Board of 25 people.” From his website.   “I am encouraging the recruitment of solid reform candidates to try to regain a majority on the Board and press forward… Read more »

Frank Tait

Please ask your questions and I am happy to answer.

Wild Bill

Jeff Knox has endorsed you that is good enough for me!

Wild Bill

Jeff, I see that you have met the incessant quibbler. He is constantly trying to manipulate the words and actions of others.

JSNMGC

Ah, the liar.

Frank Tait

Happy to engage with quibblers – although I prefer debating those that are out in the field working for reform

Frank Tait

I typically do not monitor discussion threads on boards outside of my substack as it is extremely time-consuming. I’m here now so have at it.

The reason for 25 is to have planned replacements for succession planning on the board – it takes a board member several meetings to become fully engaged – you also need redundancy in key areas so the board is not dependent on only 1 perspective in certain areas.

Frank Tait

Not sure what happened to my comment.
The reason for 25 is board succession planning and redundancy in key subject areas like audit, insurance, etc. so that the board is not dependent on 1 opinion- this also supports term limits so that you can bring in successors to someone rolling off the board for information and experience transfer.

Frank Tait

Many thanks to Jeff for pointing out this comment so I could reply. Quick reference on my platform here: https://taitnra.substack.com/about Reduce the size of the Board to 25 or fewer seats. 76 seats are ungovernable. That’s why I’m running – I’m working to get others with the experience like Rocky Marshall to step up – but we have to prove that the petition process can be successful with the run this year. Boiard members have to have governance experience – no celebrities unless they have the relevant experience. The CFO should respond transparently to ALL AUdit committee requests Collaborate with… Read more »

JSNMGC

Frank, thanks for responding.  “I typically do not monitor discussion threads on boards outside of my substack as it is extremely time-consuming. I’m here now so have at it.” It’s unfortunate Jeff didn’t give you a heads-up that he was writing an article endorsing you and posting it on Ammoland. If he had, you could have monitored the site in case you received questions. Regarding the board size, many, many large, complex, multi-national publicly traded corporations have Boards of 5 to 9 people.  Regarding the CFO, you didn’t indicate whether you support a formal dotted-line relationship to the Audit Committee.  You… Read more »

Frank Tait

Happy to provide clarifications – reading my Substack blog posts would give you most of these answers. https://taitnra.substack.com 1) Jeff did give me a heads up on the article – it’s on me as I didn’t realize that this would generate so many comments – I’m here now. I stand by my comment. Public companies are essentially controlled by their largest investors and act like private companies. Non-profit boards average 18 members – you need expertise in many areas – looking at the NRA board – other than the standard governance, you have the legislative relationships and education, you also… Read more »

JSNMGC

“Public companies are essentially controlled by their largest investors and act like private companies” That is incorrect. Also, the internal control discipline that most senior corporate executives of publicly traded companies live is totally different from what has been going on at the NRA. I appreciate your transparency in your desire to keep a massive board, even though I disagree with your position. “The NRA needs to learn to collaborate with the other organizations in the 2A community, particularly the state associations that have deeper local relationships. The NRA needs to lose the “not-invented-here” syndrome and value and utilize input… Read more »

Frank Tait

thanks for clarifying your question – I need to work on my mind-reading – Yes the NRA should be respectful of the NRA members’ efforts in support of the NRA (hence the reference to non-invented-here

You may want to ask Warren Buffett or Jack Brennan (Vanguard) about wh really runs many companies’ boards.

JSNMGC

 “I need to work on my mind-reading”

The question was clearly written and repeated.

You may want to meet some senior executives of broadly held mid cap companies and understand their corporate governance and internal controls.

I have all the information I need to make my voting decision.

Frank Tait

You get the board you vote for.

JSNMGC

You’re not the answer to the problems at the NRA.

Frank Tait

So you are going to run as a petition candidate for 2023? I will support you

Frank Tait

thank you

Stag

I don’t think any one person can be the solution to the problem but several like-minded individuals working together would have a significant impact. May I ask what your reservations are concerning Mr. Tait?

JSNMGC

I agree that one person is not going to be the solution. The reasons I don’t support Frank are: Frank wants a massive board (25 people).  Governance, internal controls, and transparency was the second biggest problem for the NRA (the first being a failed strategy of capitulation).  Having a board member with non-profit experience (like Frank) is a good idea. It’s also a good idea to have someone who has experience as a publicly traded company executive. That person’s experience is shaped by SEC rules on quarterly/annual reporting, big 4 outside auditors, internal audit departments, investors, buy-side and sell-side analysts, public debt (and… Read more »

Frank Tait

Perfection is the enemy of the good enough.

Wild Bill

No one likes that one, very much.

Russn8r

No one? You speak for everyone? Try this:
No one likes you, except your sock puppets.

Russn8r

Oh no, your sock puppet posse doesn’t like me. Boo hoo!

Do those instant fake upvotes boost your self-esteem? Now that is sad.

Wild Bill

Truer words were never spoken.

Russn8r

His proposals seem reasonable, good 2A policies, commitment & cojones to try do the right thing. 25-member board is a big improvement, and he said 25 or less. I agree it should be <10. 25 means continued dysfunctional governance & still a huge waste of money. Probably $1m/year wasted on junkets. Enough of that crap. NRA needs strict bans on sweetheart deals & benefits for board members, their pals etc. e.g., no more $1m/yr pay laundered through vendors for an “unpaid” president or spokeswoman.

Wild Bill

We are grateful that you took time to respond.

Pay little heed to this one. This one’s MO is quibble, change the issue, try to sound right, end with an insult.

Russn8r

Actually that’s your MO, with a heavy dash of effeminate passive-aggressive trolling.

Frank Tait

Aggressive aggressive please….

Russn8r

I voted for you. JSNMCG appears to be active outside the blogosphere. The ‘quibbler’ epithet is projection, typical WB trolling action. Don’t fall for it.

NRA’s 40-yr looting was facilitated by trashing folks who ask questions. We who did were accused of “circular firing squads” etc, doubletalk. So it’s reasonable to ask pointed questions of reformers. Dismissing them as WB would have you do will hurt your cause. Members have had a bellyful of “[celebrity a] endorses this, and that’s enough for YOU. They deserve to have issues addressed without ridicule & dismissal, as I’m sure you will agree.

Last edited 2 years ago by Russn8r
Frank Tait

Thank you

JSNMGC

Thanks.

Yes, I’m active advancing firearm rights – and have received nothing from the NRA but arrogant, dismissive attitude. I’m a lifetime NRA member and the people I attempted to work with at the NRA made it clear they would not speak with members who were working on issues that were not on the NRA’s priority list.

The NRA attitude has been “shut-up and send money” for decades.

Like you, and many others, I’ve seen decades of capitulation.

Regarding NRA corruption, the organization needs disciplined processes.

Stag

I’m a Benefactor Member. I went all in when Pete Brownell became president because he’s a true 2A advocate. Unfortunately, he learned how little power that position holds. I have vowed to never give them another dime until they acknowledge their treachery on supporting arms laws and vow to never do it again. Not one more inch. The NRA, like you said, also needs to go on the offensive and work to repeal all of those infringements they’ve supported in the past. Will you work to repeal the NFA, GCA, Hughes Amendment, import bans, NICS, bumpstock ban, ect?

Frank Tait

I believe in constitutional carry, abolish the ATF, Repeal the NFA and Hughes amendments, all firearms and accessories should be legal whether made in the US or imported.

Stag

Awesome! Filling out my ballot now and sending it in today. Thank you for the reply!

Frank Tait

thank you

Wild Bill

My wife and I have already bullet voted for you. We had hoped to be first, but Stag has beat us to it.

Frank Tait

thank you

Wild Bill

Sir, Did you know that BATFE was created by a Sec. Treas. memo and not an act of Congress? BATFE is not protected by a Congressional Act. Thus BATFE could be abolished by a Sec. Homeland Security memo. Below is some research on that memo: ” Who or What is the BATF? by Dan Meador. B.A.T.F. from I.R.S. On June 6, 1972 Acting Secretary of the Treasury, Charles E. Walker signed Treasury Order Number 120-01 which establishes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He did this with the stroke of his PEN citing, “by virtue of the authority vested… Read more »

Frank Tait

That is new to me – thank you for educating me on this.

Wild Bill

It is their Achilles heal. I hope that it comes in handy!

Frank Tait

Thank you