NRA Needs New Leadership, Time for 2A RINO’s to Step Away

NRA Leadership Board of Directors
NRA Leadership Board of Directors

Tombstone, Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)-  I reported last week that a group of influential NRA reformers was attempting to draft LTC. Allen West, to run against Wayne LaPierre for the CEO position in the NRA, and today West has confirmed that he is officially a candidate for the NRA’s top job.

Readers should all be aware by now that there are some serious problems at the NRA, and those problems revolve around long-time EVP/CEO Wayne LaPierre, and a small contingent of NRA Directors, determined to shield him and keep him in power, regardless of the damage to, or total destruction of, the NRA, this is causing.

NRA members have been paying LaPierre between $1 million and $2 million dollars per year for the past decade (last year it was $1.6 million), and almost that much for the two decades before that. But while LaPierre has been scraping by on this meager pittance – which amounts to more per month than the average NRA member earns in a year – LaPierre has also been awarding himself certain perks at NRA members’ expense.



Including personal trips on private jets for himself and his family members, luxury accommodations everywhere he goes, lucrative contracts to friends and spouses of NRA executives and former executives, and acceptance of a wide array of gifts and favors from NRA vendors, including repeated use of a fully-staffed, luxury yacht in the Bahamas. not tom mention over three-quarters of a million dollars worth of clothing, and African hunting safaris for him and his wife.

LaPierre admits to these things, and to failing to report most of them to the NRA Audit Committee as potential conflicts of interest, as required by NRA policy and New York law. He also admits to unilaterally granting these same vendors multi-million dollar contracts, with no competitive bidding or consultation with the NRA Board of Directors.

During his testimony in the failed NRA bankruptcy trial – a bankruptcy which LaPierre initiated without consultation with the Board of Directors, in violation of the Association’s Bylaws, and which was thrown out for “bad faith filing” after an investment of millions of dollars of NRA members’ money – and in his official response to a lawsuit filed against him by the Attorney General of New York, LaPierre admitted to the above, and multiple other, breaches of policy, ethics, and state law, any one of which would be ample justification for his immediate removal from office. Yet he refuses to accept responsibility, and a small band of influential NRA Directors continues to shield him from administrative repercussions.

In fact, this cadre of LaPierre loyalists, has guided the Board through the reelection of LaPierre three times since reports of his transgressions first came out in early 2019.

Many of LaPierre’s actions formed the basis of the lawsuit filed against the NRA and four of its current and former officers and executives – including LaPierre – in late 2019. That suit is expected to finally get to the discovery phase this fall, and go to trial at the end of the year. Knowledgeable observers say that’s unlikely to be the end of it though, as the attorney retained by LaPierre to represent the NRA, has a reputation of delaying and delaying, before finally settling, or, if the case does go to trial, appealing the decision, as long as there’s money available to pay his fees (which have been topping $2 million per month!).

The LaPierre apologists argue that this is a fight between the evil New York AG, and the virtuous, pure as the driven snow NRA, but that’s not the case.

While the New York Attorney General is indeed pretty evil, and there’s no doubt that her investigation into the NRA, with her admitted intent to destroy the Association, was absolutely politically motivated, her original motives play no role in what her investigation discovered: deep-seated corruption and abuse of power on the part of LaPierre and others at the top of the NRA hierarchy.

Letitia James vs Wayne LaPierre
Letitia James vs Wayne LaPierre

A good bit of that corruption and abuse has now been confessed to by LaPierre, yet he and his apologists dismiss his bad behavior as “trusting the wrong people” and not realizing that accepting expensive gifts – and giving expensive gifts at NRA expense – was a problem. They argue that, when he learned of an impending investigation by the NY AG, LaPierre initiated a thorough, top-down investigation into NRA’s dealings, cleaning up problems, instituting new policies, and off-loading vendors that wouldn’t go along with retroactive updating of invoices and other questionable bookkeeping requirements.

What they neglect to consider, is how the problems, shortcomings, invoicing issues, and other matters requiring “cleaning up,” got in that condition in the first place.

  • How did it become standard practice for vendors to bill the NRA for millions of dollars, with no details on the invoices?
  • How did it become standard practice for retiring NRA executives to be given consulting contracts worth as much or more than their salaries as employees, with no requirement that they provide any value at all to the Association?
  • How did it become standard practice for former executives to receive severance payments equal to their full annual salary, for years after they quit or were fired?

As a member of the NRA Board of Directors in 2019 when these allegations first became public, Allen West questioned and challenged LaPierre and his supporters, and there was discussion of nominating West for EVP at that time, but there were arguments about “best” picks and “working on reforming the Association from the inside.”

In the end, West, and those who supported him, or otherwise demonstrated any disloyalty toward LaPierre, were purged from the Board.

Former NRA President, and leading LaPierre apologist, David Keene has written an attack piece, deriding LTC. West as a “good orator” who is otherwise totally incompetent. Keene suggests that the objective of those supporting LTC West is more about getting Wayne LaPierre out, than it is about getting the best-qualified person in, and I’ll agree with that last point.

The most important thing that needs to happen at the meetings in Houston, is the removal of Wayne LaPierre. He’s a cancer and stain on the Association, costing millions in lost contributions, and sending politicians running in the opposite direction. Personally, I would support a stuffed weasel for the position over LaPierre.

While I like West, and I believe he’ll do a good job as EVP of the NRA, I’m not sure he’s the absolute best person for the job. I don’t know if there is an absolutely best person for the job, and I’ve been seeking that unicorn for at least a decade. But I am absolutely sure that West is a better person for the job than Wayne LaPierre. And, since the position of Executive Vice President comes up for election in the Board of Directors every year, if it turns out that West is not a good fit, the Board can replace him with someone else next year, if they can find a better candidate.

The thing that every NRA member, and especially every NRA Director, needs to be looking at right now though, is not what good Wayne LaPierre has or has not done in his position as EVP of NRA in the past…

But rather how effective he is right now and is likely to be in the foreseeable future, and how much it is costing the Association – in money, trust, and influence – to keep LaPierre in power.

LaPierre had the opportunity to do the right thing back in April of 2019 when his misdeeds were suddenly splashed across the pages of the New Yorker magazine, and numerous people close to LaPierre advised a quick and as quiet as possible retirement. But instead, LaPierre chose to go with a scorched earth attack on anyone and everyone who expressed anything less than unflinching loyalty to him personally. He accused Olliver North of extortion, accused Chris Cox of mutiny, fired dozens of long-time NRA supporters and outside attorneys, and manipulated the removal of over a dozen Directors, while spending multiple millions of dollars per month of NRA members’ money, on the attorney who he described as “the only one keeping me out of jail.”

It is sad and frustrating that this lunacy has gone on for over three years now, and that it has come down to a test of loyalty, not to the NRA or the Second Amendment, but to Wayne LaPierre personally. LaPierre and his apologists have declared war on anyone who refuses to bow and kiss LaPierre’s ring. They keep paying him over a million-and-a-half dollars per year while paying his attorney over two million per month, and they say that those of us calling for reform are the ones trying to destroy the NRA. It’s pure lunacy.

Tell your NRA Directors to stop the madness and vote for Allen West for EVP. It only takes a simple majority to win.

You can write to any (or all) member(s) of the NRA Board of Directors by snail mail to: (Name of Board member), NRA Office of the Secretary, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, or via email by sending to [email protected]. You can also call 703-267-1021 to leave a message for a Director. You must include your name, contact information, and your NRA membership number (it’s printed on the mailing label on your magazine, usually preceded by 3 or 4 zeroes). The names and states of all Directors are printed in the Official Journal of the NRA magazines, usually a page or two from the back cover.

Let them hear from you, and please try to attend the Members’ Meeting in Houston on May 28th,  2022.


Read Related:

The Shit Storm that is the NRA Today & How We Got Here

NRA: Allen West’s Run For Wayne’s’ Job Will Not Prevail In Houston

Lieutenant Colonel Allen West (USA, Ret) Answers the Call to Serve NRA Members


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 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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JIAZ

Wayne LaPierre is the NRA’s “Bernie Madoff”. The NRA is the only organization I know of, or even heard of, where the executive staff employees have complete control over the board of directors. It’s supposed to work the other way around. Truth is we don’t need Wayne’s World. We never have. We’ve just been subjected to decades of clever, flashy, goebbels-esque propaganda. Join and support your individual State’s most Pro-2A organization. Contact your State Senators and Representatives in a professional, respectful manner to state your position on any and all firearms related state legislation. Don’t ever depend on any national… Read more »

Autsin Miller III

Love the analogy, Very well said sir!

Carl up North

At this point let’s stop the bleed and get Wayne and his hench-people out. If we succeed think about making the New York AG an honorary member. Endowment Life Member

Russn8r

Gotta bug her knowing she may end up being NRA’s biggest fundraiser, not just by giving members an opportunity to restore trust, but by getting restitution and damages from LaPew & his cronies.

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
StLPro2A

acceptance of a wide array of gifts and favors from NRA vendors, including repeated use of a fully-staffed, luxury yacht in the Bahamas. not tom mention over three-quarters of a million dollars worth of clothing, and African hunting safaris for him and his wife.”

Is he reporting these benefits as income on federal and state taxes? Do an “Al Capone” on him. Turn him in for tax evasion.

ahhiyawa

I believe the IRS is currently doing an investigation into Lapierre’s financial affairs.

Old Guy

I have been a life member since 1975 and and endowment since about 2000. I do not and will not give any money to the NRA while Wayne and his cronies are in power.
The board needs to step and remove him else the are failing in their fiduciary duty to the members. That has potential legal ramifications for them.

Bill

My wife and I have been life members since 1990. We are tired of La Pierre and his “rubber-stamping” board of directors wasting and pissing way the money donated to the NRA by millions of hard-working average Americans!
Until WLP and the shadow bard of directors are replaced, we will give not one red cent to the NRA! That being said, I think LTC West has bigger fish to fry that to try and reform a crippled, disgraced organization! We will continue to give to the Texas State Rifle Association, and the GOA; but ZERO to the NRA!

ahhiyawa

I don’t agree Bill. The NRA can and will be saved by fighters like Tait, Knox and their supporters, which I believe is an evolving and growing juggernaut that will triumph over Lapierre. Its been a long time coming, but I’m patient and can wait a little time longer.

TexDad

Well written, Mr. Knox. Not sure what RINOs, or the Republican Party for that matter, have to do with it, but this is the perfect counterpoint to Keene’s opinion piece. Keene makes no accusations of wrongdoing, just votes of no confidence on West. On the other hand, we are aware of many of Wayne’s outright transgressions, and here are a few, laid out. It is more than obvious the members have lost trust in Wayne’s NRA. Look outside Ammoland, you will still find it. The NRA could be redeemed, but Wayne cannot. My challenge to our board is this: Stop… Read more »

Wild Bill

All true, but I am thinking that WLP has arranged large salaries for the board, so that the corrupt board will support him. None of those people could have ever found jobs that pay as well or do as little for it, as Wayne has arranged for them.
I hope that I am wrong and they stop the lock step walk, as you suggest.

TexDad

I fear that what you say has to be true, or he would have already been replaced several times over. Wayne and his cronies are definitely guilty of tampering with the makeup of the board, committee assignments, and running off directors or candidates that call for reform.

I still challenge standing directors to reflect on whom they are responsible to and act with integrity.

Wild Bill

As do I. Although I don’t know the situation for a fact. Go LTC West!

Last edited 1 year ago by Wild Bill
Russn8r

Odd. “RINO” is only in the title. But we know NRA’s a long history of faux A grades, $, endorsements & orange alert cards for “2A RINOs” who:

* Directly back gun control including “FOPA” with the new civilian machine gun ban, NICS, GCA’68, NFA, DVROs, “gun free” zones, HR 2648 aka “Vets Disarmament”.

* Indirectly back gun control:

* Confirm gun grabber noms like Ketanji, Sotomayor, Kagan, Holder

* Endorse grabbers for other offices (e.g. Bob Dold in Illinois)

* Back squishes in leadership; congress or party

* Do zip about vote fraud, enabling coups like The Big Steal

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
TexDad

I agree with your calling out of compromisers.

I just refuse to view the NRA, or RKBA supporters in general, as some subset of the Republican Party. My life experience suggests otherwise.

Russn8r

Most Rs are pro-gun or strongly pro-gun. Nearly all at least pretend. Sad reality is, all D pols are anti-gun, however they vote on gun bills. 100% of them indirectly back gun control: 100% back an anti-gun party, vote for anti-gun leadership, confirm gun grabbers for life in the courts, endorse grabbers for other offices e.g. Obama-Biden-Harris-Clinton. Those who vote D help put the party in power & are therefore de facto anti-2A, including D gun owners. 25yrs ago NRA still could get away with giving faux As & Bs to Dems. It’s rare now bc it’s so clear there’s… Read more »

TexDad

This again. I don’t… can’t.

I will say this. I don’t gunvote. Guns are a subset of weapons, which are a subset of tools to fight against overreaching government power, which is my main concern. My politics are defined by fighting against expansion of government power and inappropriate use of government power. Generally that means voting for whoever will beat the Democrat, but that is hardly an endorsement of the Republican Party.

Russn8r

That’s not what I’m endorsing at all, and I don’t gunvote either. What I’m doing is recognizing the reality, not the wishful thinking. Not only are ALL Dems de facto gun grabbers, they’re also de facto socialists and tyrants.

You can’t say that about all Rs.

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
TexDad

I just mean that by way of example. The related terms here are not equivalent.

Russn8r

Not sure what you mean there. I have the same take as you on the issues you mentioned, and that translates into never voting D in generals, but focusing on R primaries – which is where the action is.

There’s no hope of saving the D party. Therefore voting D means voting for:

Gun control
Censorship
Socialism
Welfare
Late-term abortion
Deluge immigration and invasion-occupation
World government
The entire DemCom agenda.

On the R side, that’s not always true. The R party can be salvaged by bouncing RINOs in primaries.

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
TexDad

I was using my own politics just as an example. Here we go with the RvD discussion… Is it possible, that a constituent (not talking about a politician), who chooses to vote Republican, could disagree with the Republican Party on a specific issue and speak out on that issue? Maybe even put his money where his mouth is and donate to an organization that works against that particular party interest? Legalization of marijuana, is a place where I am an example of this. Although I don’t advocate for marijuana use, I simply think government should stay out of it. I… Read more »

Russn8r

~”Is it possible one who votes R disagrees with the Party on a specific issue (etc)?”

Yes.

“marijuana use, I think gvt should stay out”

Agreed.

~”Is it hard to imagine one who believes universal healthcare is most important, and thus votes D, but supports RKBA & donates to pro-gun groups?”

No. Can you admit such voters inevitably vote for actual & de facto grabbers, helping put an anti-gun party in power such that it can enact, decree & enforce gun control?

Can you refrain from pre-labeling my reply as “flames”, “whatever” etc?

TexDad

Yes, I admit that.

That’s not all on you. I’m just a bit gun shy from the last time I entered into discussion on this topic.

Russn8r

No worries. Did you notice you were instantly punished for discussing this (or anything) with me? LOL.

Have an excellent one.

TexDad

I think I have joined you in the Receive-Automatic-Malicious-Downvotes-Even-On-Wholly-Agreeable-Posts Club.

Happy to associate with another deplorable (sarc).

john

I think guns are nice they can be works of art or a life saving intervention between you and a villioness person out to do you harm. I like them made with wood or with composite stocks I like guns that shoot 1/4 inch groups a 300 yards. I like single action pistols that have very light triggers, most of all I like my 1911 custom shop 45 acp. Did I forget shotguns total enjoyment in the field wing shooting rabbit hunting duck season, O MY

TexDad

I agree. I just quibbled with the terminology a bit.

Thank you for writing this piece.

Russn8r

Maybe they meant GRINOs: Gun Rights In Name Only.

Dogma Factor

Note to the editors: There’s no such thing as a “2A RINO”, one is 100% in favor of the second amendment or 100% against no matter how wishy-washy they the pretend to support 2A. There is no middle ground in supporting the Constitution and the Second Amendment.

Mac

I refused to renew my NRA membership until LaPiere is in jail. Can’t believe this corruption has gone on for so long. Despicable!!

ahhiyawa

Not me. I’ve been an annual and life member of the NRA and the Republican Party since I came home from Nam in 1969. The current state of affairs was set in stone in the late 1990’s when Lapierre, other conspirators and that fool Charlton Heston screwed Neal Knox out of the Presidency for the NRA. The only man at that point in time who could have saved the NRA from the diseased and corrupt state it has become. Afterwords, the mass purges of anyone who dared to challenge the tyrant were eliminated and its been a down hill-racer to… Read more »

Quatermain

The NRA’s endorsements in the Idaho Republican primary(May 17) are 100% certifiable RINO’s. Disgusting. But it does provide an easy list of who not to vote for.

Wild Bill

Good Idaho report!

ahhiyawa

The same crap goes down here in Michigan, though Trump has thrown a spanner wrench into the usual corrupt state of play of Republican politics with his endorsements.

warfinge

The board is as corrupt as Wayne is. I see no chance of replacement and reform. They aren’t going to mess up their “good thing” by bumping Wayne out.

ahhiyawa

So hopeless, so negative. Failure to act will ensure those Directors receive the same medicine that will be payed out to Lapierre.

john

Money is the evil that plagues dishonest men , WLP

JSNMGC

Unfortunately, most people who support him won’t read that article. West has celebrity status and that is all that matters to some people. West doesn’t know how large, complex business organizations like the NRA should work. He certainly won’t know how to fix a floundering business. He won’t know who to keep and he won’t know who to hire. He has no experience as an executive of a large business. If he is selected, he’s going to walk into dysfunction and chaos. It’s not some honorary position – a new EVP is going to have to work long hours and… Read more »

Russn8r

I read it. Typical NRA smear. Figures it’s Erick Erickson, prissy NeverTrump ‘conservative’ who banned Trump from a debate for joking about ‘grabbing Ps’ (THE HORROR . . . THE HORROR) in ‘private conversation secretly recorded by a corrupt globalist Bush crime family member, and for alleged innuendo regarding NeverTrump Megan Kelly (THE HORROR . . . THE HORROR).

StLPro2A

Right now, I’d take a talking dog over LaPewPee……talking optional. Can’t do any worse than LaPewPew. West will figure out the running the show thingy with all his military command experience. Best of all, West won’t know how to exploit the NRA as LaPewPew has. That takes years to perfect.

Last edited 1 year ago by StLPro2A
Dogma Factor

Unfortunately JSNMGC WLP is the creator of the dysfunction and chaos and has no interest nor intent of fixing. So it’s time to give anyone else an opportunity as the EVP no matter what your opinion is of them. At least someone else would be willing to try as WLP will not. If WLP was a executive in the Fortune 500 company he’d likely be in an orange jump suit right now. So why as NRA membership do we need to continue to allow this level of mismanagement?

ahhiyawa

It will be a piece of cake for Colonel, and you will be happy with the result.

Russn8r

Typical NRA smear. Figures it’s Erick Erickson, prissy NeverTrump ‘conservative’ who banned Trump from a debate for joking about ‘grabbing Ps’ (THE HORROR . . . THE HORROR) in ‘private conversation secretly recorded by a corrupt globalist Bush crime family member, and for alleged innuendo regarding NeverTrump Megan Kelly (THE HORROR . . . THE HORROR).

Last edited 1 year ago by Russn8r
Russn8r

This is redundant due to the approval algorithm.

ahhiyawa

Yeah, Erickson is a real piece of work. The real war isn’t beating Democrats. Its exterminating the vermin in the Republican party.

ahhiyawa

Eric-Woods Erickson is your go to source? RINO Erickson who called Trump a racist, indecent and dis-invited Trump to a Red State rally held in Atlanta in 2015. Erickson is the kind of Republican who does what he is told and goes with the flow when its expedient. Case in point he endorsed Trump in 2019 when it looked like he was a winner for 2020.

A fair weather friend.

JSNMGC

“2A RINO” = A person, especially a high profile firearm rights person, who supported FOPA (with the Hughes Amendment).