Why Must You Vote For

The NRA 2.0 Reform Candidates?

The NRA has been the bedrock of gun rights and programs in America for over 150 years and has created a legacy of transformative work for decades of: 

  • 2A achievements milestone achievements
  • Firearm Education and training 
  • Sponsoring and hosting competitive shooting events 
  • Saved the firearms industry in the USA (Lawful commerce in arms act)
  • Political clout and influence in every election season
  • Introducing millions of youngsters to Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program 
  • Continuous involvement and influence in hundreds of Federal and state elections 
  • The NRA is the elephant in the room during every discussion about firearms safety and firearms legislation

As has been reported often in the news, the NRA was controlled by an unscrupulous CEO/EVP who formed a cabal of entrenched Board of Directors and supporters whose sole duty was to protect him and ensure his continued position.  

Judge Cohen in his July 29, 2024 NYAG Case decision (NYCEF DOC #3429) wrote:

“The evidence showed that a number of prominent board members reacted principally with the goal of protecting Mr. LaPierre and his team rather than protecting the NRA itself against financial mismanagement”

With the aid, support, and protection offered by entrenched board members (unindicted co-conspirators), Wayne LaPierre and willing accomplices fleeced the NRA members of millions of dollars.

Judge Cohen in his July 29, 2024 decision wrote:

“The fact that the verdict form, which all parties had a role in crafting, by the way, did not require separate verdicts on the dozens, if not more, allegations of specific mismanagement of charitable funds, as well as the evidence of board level support for the wrongdoers, attacks against whistleblowers and overall lax oversight on financial matters does not make the verdict any less damning as to the NRA as an entity nor does it support the NRA’s post-trial declamations of vindication, which apparently drew derisive laughter and objections from the members at the NRA’s annual meeting, that the NRA or, more particularly, its senior leadership was a hapless victim of a few bad apples in management.”  

Judge Cohen commented that NRA Officers (and identified board members) willingly and knowingly supported the criminals through the years of corruption, during and after the NYAG trial, and repeatedly lied to the board, the members and the public.  Most notably, NRA officers did not report the truth involving the NYAG case, the fraudulent bankruptcy trial or any other litigation: i.e. AckMac, Cox, Under Wild Skys, and so many other cases. The truth is the NRA and its outside counsel have a record of O for 22 in lawsuits and erroneously claimed each case a victory for the NRA. 

Judge Cohen continues to excoriate the board:

Moreover, the NRA’s press release discussing the jury’s verdict was misleading and, at times, wholly inaccurate.

“In my view, the record showed not only misconduct by individual officers and employees, but also failures by the board of directors and its committees to properly supervise the expenditure of the NRA’s charitable assets and to react quickly and decisively once questions about financial management arose, which really began as early as the 1990’s, through more specifically and pointedly in 2018”

Historically, if a member of the Board of Directors requested to review financial or other data regarding routine NRA business, the request was summarily (and unlawfully) denied and the member was isolated, removed from all committee assignments, and eventually removed from the Board of Directors.  More than 20 Directors were systematically removed from the board in the last 10 years

Judge Cohen continues:

“The NRA, through its board and senior management, abandoned the basic blocking and tackling of ensuring that the financial resources of the association are being responsibly spent.  Here, instead, management and certain leading board members, when called to account for the NRA’s problems, went on the attack, including against legally protected whistleblowers.”

“The fact that the NRA still seems to find it difficult to take accountability for its past problems is concerning. The NRA was slow to reform, despite warning signs as early as 2003, (David Coy’s Frankel Report, NYSCEF DOC 2241).  There remain leaders on key board committees who, while they do seem smart and earnest, are difficult to disentangle from their role as overseers while long-running and blatant violations of NRA policy and New York law was rampant at the highest levels of the organization and who were also intimately involved, in some cases, in ill considered and wasteful efforts to avoid accountability, including the disastrous decision to pursue bankruptcy to avoid accountability rather than simply righting the ship as best they could.” 

“As to the NRA itself, the evidence presented at the trial suggests that there remain vestiges of the regime that presided over the period of unlawful behavior, that still do not recognize their role in failing to identify the wrongdoing.  While the NRA members recently flexed their democratic muscles to promote reform efforts, current NRA leadership continues to place decisive authority in the hands of those who did not take a strong hand against improper behavior and chose instead to close ranks behind a leader, despite ample evidence of extraordinary misconduct.”

THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO VOTE FOR THE NRA 2.0 LEADERS!

We desperately need your help to remove culpable board members and continue the transformation in support of NRA members and the mission.  Please cast your vote to continue this vital work!

THE BALLOT IS IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF YOUR NRA MAGAZINE.

**VOTE NOW!**

Court documents referenced: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/DocumentList?docketId=pahf9IBZzF/pYP8WVQ4Sfw==&display=all

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