The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Jim Kennedy-ar154me on January 05, 2024, 02:06:42 PM
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I personally think this is a good thing. The speculation about corruption and misspent funds has followed him for a few years now.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wayne-lapierre-announces-resignation-nra-chief
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Sadly probably only the tip of the iceberg. The front man for the problems. The infrastructure that supported him and kept him in office is still there. This is what happens to many representative organizations over time, be it the US Congress or the NRA, it takes too many people to make too many changes to really make any at all.
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The NRA did a lot of good work with him leading the way, but he probably should have resigned when the charges of corruption started. Guilty or not, it's better for the organization not to have that kind of controversy.
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Riddle me this?
What was the time of the official announcement and press conference?
The earliest report from major news I can find was Fox at about 2pm EST.
Why, 6+ hours later, have I not received a direct communication from the NRA?
Possibly this is indicative of the low priority the organization holds the membership.
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Lapierre made a maneuver that changed the ability to unseat him. I forget exactly what that was but it was bull$hit.
I actually met him and shook his hand at the big Tulsa gun show maybe 20 years ago. I remember him having girlie hands...but then he is a lawyer, right?
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Lapierre made a maneuver that changed the ability to unseat him. I forget exactly what that was but it was bull$hit.
I remember the move. Can't remember exactly when, but it was before the big public splash of misuse of funds or the attempts by a
Russian to get in. As I recall he pretty much removed the Board from the accountability process.
I have been on a couple non-profit organization boards. One we were pretty much just there to fulfill the legal requirements of being a 501c3. The other was a well operating organization. However, it was always a constant task to maintain balance of letting the Director do their job of running operations and not letting them take full control of the organization. Wayne managed to take full control, and he found a way to be his own supervisor.
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That's pretty much what I remember
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So now it's been about 24hours. I just checked and yes I'm on several NRA mailing lists. Nada. Any other NRA members out there received any official announcement? This sticks in my craw. It's as if members don't really matter.
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I don't have anything and I'm on at least one or two mailing lists. Life Member since the mid-80's when I could finally afford it.
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Just checked. It's on the website.
Now we'll see if one of his handpicked guys gets on....probably. The "right guy" will be the one willing to reverse the centralization of power in the NRA.
https://home.nra.org/statements/nra-evp-wayne-lapierre-announces-resignation-from-nra/ (https://home.nra.org/statements/nra-evp-wayne-lapierre-announces-resignation-from-nra/)
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) announced today that Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre announced he is stepping down from his position as chief executive of the organization, effective January 31. Long-time NRA executive and Head of General Operations Andrew Arulanandam will become the interim CEO & EVP of the NRA.
“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” says Wayne LaPierre. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever."
During an NRA Board of Directors meeting today in Irving, Texas, NRA President Charles Cotton reported that he accepted LaPierre’s resignation. According to the NRA, LaPierre cited health reasons as a reason for his decision. The NRA continues its defense of a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General, and LaPierre is an individual defendant in that action. It is well-known that the NYAG vowed to pursue the NRA when she was candidate for her office and, upon being elected, filed a lawsuit to dissolve the Association in August 2020. Trial proceedings in that case begin Monday.
In March 2022, the NRA scored a major legal victory, when a New York court dismissed the NYAG’s claims to dissolve the organization. The court issued an opinion that vindicates the NRA’s position: the NYAG’s effort to shut down the Association ran afoul of common sense, New York law, and the First Amendment. Since then, the NRA maintains that it is committed to good governance. With respect to the NYAG’s allegations, the NRA Board of Directors reports it has undertaken significant efforts to perform a self-evaluation, recommended termination of disgraced “insiders” and vendors who allegedly abused the Association, and accepted reimbursement, with interest, for alleged excess benefit transactions from LaPierre, as reported in public tax filings.
LaPierre said, “I am proud of the NRA’s advocacy in New York and, through it all, determination to defend the Second Amendment. I can assure you the NRA’s mission, programming, and fight for freedom have never been more secure. What makes the NRA unlike any other advocacy organization is the depth and experience of its professional team, the unwavering support of its members, and its fighting spirit. I have enormous confidence in our board of directors, executive leadership team, and my long-time colleague Andrew Arulanandam. Andrew knows every facet of this organization and has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me in every arena imaginable. Andrew knows how to help the NRA win – he’s been one of the key authors of our playbook for decades.”
Cotton said, “On behalf of the NRA Board of Directors, I thank Wayne LaPierre for his service. Wayne has done as much to protect Second Amendment freedom as anyone. Wayne is a towering figure in the fight for constitutional freedom, but one of his other talents is equally important: he built an organization that is bigger than him. Under the direction of Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA will continue to thrive – with a renewed energy in our business operations and grassroots advocacy. Our future is bright and secure.”
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(Assumption) I guess the Board was not aware this was happening at this meeting.
(Fact) This Civil case is highly politically and legally charged. This is a case where the Right to remain silent is very important. Every communication from the group or an individual must be carefully crafted and vetted.
(Assumption) The entire organization legal team has made it very clear that beyond the naming of the interim office holder, all next steps must be only through official proceedings and channels.
I would like to be a fly on the wall in this meeting room. A few years back several members and candidates backed away due to the rift in the Board and the power grab of Wayne. However, there are still some free thinkers that hold seats. I'm sure that the talks in the room are about more than new employees and potential legal problems. There will be deep discussions on the full direction of the organization that has been shifting over the last couple decades.
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I've been an NRA member for 45 years or so and remember once that someone else tried to take control of the NRA but can't remember who it was. I think the guy had kind of a radical agenda, and plenty of supporters.
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The Harlon Carter Cincinnati Revolution or Cincinnati Coup of 1977. It returned the NRA to a 2nd Amendment defender and away from the road to outdoor hunting and sporting organization management wanted it to be.
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I liked Harlon Carter. That was when I was in high school, around the time I joined or just prior. I think it was a decade later that someone else tried to take over. Neal something with an O in it IIRC. Or maybe it was O'Neil?
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I just did a quick search and I think it was Neal Knox and his cronies who tried taking over the organization and got kicked to the curb. Whatever he was trying to do was a different kind of politics.
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In 1977, Knox was among the hardliners who took control of the NRA.
The same hardliners fired Knox from the NRA five years later in 1982. Over the ensuing decade, Knox used his own columns in magazines popular with NRA members like Shotgun News and Guns & Ammo to get himself and up to 10 allies elected to the NRA board in 1991.
In 1997, a narrowly-divided NRA Board voted Knox out of the succession line for president of the NRA, replacing him with Charlton Heston, who was subsequently elected president of the organization.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Knox
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Tom Gresham's Guntalk Show link below. The first hour was focused on LaPierre. It sounds really bad to me. If some of what I heard is true LaPierre needs a world class ass whipping.
https://guntalk.libsyn.com/wayne-lapierre-resigns-from-nra-are-second-amendment-groups-replacing-the-nra-finding-parts-for-older-guns-gun-talk-radio-010724-hour-1 (https://guntalk.libsyn.com/wayne-lapierre-resigns-from-nra-are-second-amendment-groups-replacing-the-nra-finding-parts-for-older-guns-gun-talk-radio-010724-hour-1)
76 board of directors....what the heck? That's ridiculous.
We probably need to go to the NRA meeting in Dallas.
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And now he is off to New York!
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/nra-wayne-lapierre-new-york/2024/01/08/id/1148694/
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What scares me is that New York can dump the current management and put their own in if something illegal did happen. How about AOC or Greta Thumberg...maybe Senator Schumer or former Senator Clinton.....
Over a 150 years could be gone if thievery is confirmed.
I want my share of the Whittington Center and the firearms museum.....
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What scares me is that New York can dump the current management and put their own in if something illegal did happen. How about AOC or Greta Thumberg...maybe Senator Schumer or former Senator Clinton.....
Over a 150 years could be gone if thievery is confirmed.
I want my share of the Whittington Center and the firearms museum.....
Me too. I own a square foot of NRA Whittington Center, at least.
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Two thoughts:
The NRA, like so many organizations, has reached a point where the board can't effectively make a lot of changes. The United Methodist Church in the same predicament with not enough majority to change the theology and not enough to censure the rule breakers. Some sports and hobby organizations have, or have had, the same problem. And of course Congress can't do anything to change the course of the Titanic. They shuffle deck chairs, pick out new music for the orchestra, some shout warnings about a pending disaster, but in the end the ship just keeps going the same way.
NYC has been bent on exercising very questionable court cases. Civil cases are being used to control people in the city and by a big stretch in the whole country. The cases against the NRA, WLP and Trump are just them further flexing the power they gained from lesser known and lesser publicized cases. Cases like Wallace/Adventure Outdoors, where they sent "agents" to make straw purchases then file a civil suit on behalf of the people of NY. (The agents were not Feds, nor was this operation approved or run by BATF, nor were any criminal charges tendered.) Wallace took a plea because there's no winning in their kangaroo court. Like Trump, he found himself guilty before court started. The court case was just to assess how much the penalty was going to be. This is a very dangerous path NYC has gone down. Unchecked they could sue most any manufacturer, retailer or even outspoken advocate anywhere for the supposed "damage" they'd done to NYC residents.
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I was "guilty" of 2 felony crimes I didn't commit because I couldn't prove my innocence, and I suffered for it. I plea bargained no contest to a misdemeanor I didn't commit so the felony charges would be dropped. I got 3 days in jail instead of 2 years in prison, plus fines and probation, etc. Anyone who thinks it can't happen to them, guess again. If someone says you did something and has a friend or relative say they saw it happen, you;re screwed. Prosecuters don't care about guilt or innocence, they only care about prosecutions, and will go after anyone they think they have a case against.
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Big Frank is right....prosecutions matter to prosecutors...not guilt or innocence.
As Alf said...these bad prosecutors are geared up to go on a political witch hunt beyond their jurisdictions because they don't like us. Which is OK for them so long as the "others" have faith in the system...but that is quickly waning.
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https://www.ammoland.com/2024/02/media-makes-most-of-manhattan-verdict-against-lapierre-nra/?fbclid=IwAR1aEViby2Qma7fkj0IaiyZiGv4t4UfqZkY9Sl1mWQkMN-zhb9kxuMe24Z0#axzz8Srlc7mua