What is the National Rifle Association?
Received via email:
Mon 4/21/2025 8:51 AM
To the National Rifle Association,
What is the National Rifle Association? I've heard countless times it's "America's oldest civil rights group". Is that so? I've also heard it's a non profit corporation. It's definitely not making a profit now. I've been told, it's membership is 4million, 5mllion, even 6million members. Or is it less than 3million?
The NRA was once a $300 to $400million non profit corporation. What do the books say now? Is the board even allowed to see the books? Or do they have the courage to ask?
The most recent numbers I could find were revenues being about $176million, while expenditures were about $209million. Sources, https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2025/01/16/past-nra-budgets-based-on-wishful-thinking/
Now lets get back to membership... Just last year the NRA lost 14% of all non life members.
Why? Wasn't 2024 an election year? Don't gun owners open their wallets and throw cash around like crazy to any 2A cause that asks, during an election year? Especially when it's a presidential election year?
Yet the loss... Why? For contrast in the early '80s the NRA had 3.5 million or so members. Now? Less than 3million. And how many of those 1.25million life members quit sending donations? Source, https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2025/03/17/nra-membership/
Then there's legal issues. Why is NRA suing both Ackerman-McQueen and Under Wild Skies? I've lost track how many times the NRA's lost to Ack Mac. NRA's lost to Under Wild Skies too. So why is NRA suing? Wouldn't that money be better spent on suing Bill Brewer for legal malpractice? Like the fraudulent attempt at bankruptcy for instance? Or, better yet the NRA could use that legal money to fund actual Second Amendment lawsuits, as opposed to just periodically, releasing a press release or filing a amicus brief.
In regards to Under Wild Skies in particular, is NRA suing because of an elephant hunt?...
Regardless, the elephants both died... One much, much later than sooner.
And with Ack-Mac, if Bill Brewer's team misfiled the confidentiality agreement, why is NRA suing Ack Mac? And why was the initial settlement agreement kept from NRA BoD? Why?
Then there's another case, in Tennessee, where, Judge Campbell, denied NRA's motion to dismiss, and granted RICO to the plaintiff. Now, NYAG stated NRA malfeasance to be about $62million, if memory serves. And, the NRA Foundation could be around $100million. If the plaintiff is able to prove that, or more, through discovery... Well, RICO means triple damages. What could the plaintiff find via discovery? Is NRA HQ well stocked with burn barrels and bleach bit? All kidding aside, say the numbers are correct, added together that's $162million, times 3 equals, $486million. Let me remind you, the most recent filings publicly available were $176million in revenue, and expenditures $209million. Even $62million times 3 equals $186million... That's $24million more that the NRA's most recent public revenue filings. Just a thought, but maybe NRA should drop its suits against Ack Mac and Under Wild Skies... Remember the non disclosure agreement already leaked thanks to Brewer. And the two elephants are long since dead... No thanks to Wayne LaPierre.
Let's talk about Bill Brewer, he's a long time anti gun, Democrat mega donor. Why would the National Rifle Association hire, a lawyer, who's so openly political, and the political opposite of the NRA? Bill Brewer donated to Kamala Harris! Couldn't NRA have found someone less partisan to deal with? Source, https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2024/10/03/brewer-law-firm-political-donations/
Then there's the legal bills, have you seen how Brewer billed the NRA?
It's said NRA paid Bill Brewer $200million, source,
Yet, I've personally heard people whisper that figure's closer to $400million.
But what's a few hundred million dollars either way, right? It's not your money after all, but the members money.
Oh, don't forget, the NRA Board of Directors paid Bill Brewer $100million just to leave... Source, https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2025/01/01/good-riddance-to-brewer/
Can CCO Mensinger or the Missing In Action Board of Directors give us an exact total of what the NRA paid Bill Brewer? Or is math too difficult or too embarrassing?
All this really does beg the question, where's the NRA Board of Directors been for the past 40 years? Why was Wayne LaPierre, rehired? Why was Woody Phillips hired and rehired? Why was LaPierre's aid who had a habit of paying for weddings using NRA credit cards kept on the pay roll? She was convicted of embezzlement prior to NRA hiring her... Where was the board generally and the Audit Committee specifically?
And what about the "Frenkel Report"? Have any of you even read this oh so secret report?
So where is the board of directors? Missing In Action for 40 years? Why did the BoD give Secretary Frazer sole control over the member to director email system? You know, the system, lined out in our magazines, below the list of directors, stating the official procedure for emailing the board? Why did the board delegate that to Secretary Frazer?
Secretary Frazer's an interesting man, or perhaps the people who haven't fired him are even more interesting. You realize of course, Secretary Frazer was found guilty, of falsifying statements on NRA documents? Yet the board, curiously has not fired him. Strange.
Now, Frazer, the same Secretary Frazer who was found guilty of lying, is in charge of the NRA member to director email system. What could that lead to? A non functioning NRA member to director email system? Or a non existent one? Or one which is being deliberately tampered with? Whichever it is, membership's emails are NOT reaching the board of directors. I've spoken to current, and past directors, who've all told me they never got my emails, nor the emails of anyone else while they have been, or were on the board. Other members I've talked to, have said they've never gotten a response from the BoD when they've emailed. I've NEVER spoken to a member who DID get a response.
When I brought this up with CEO Hamlin he had a minor hissy fit and accused me of working for Bloomberg and Soros... Then he began quoting speeches from Col. Roosevelt. Apparently CEO Hamlin missed Col. Roosevelt's idea of a "Square deal". When I bring the email system up with President Barr, he says he'll have CCO Mensinger look into it. What's CCO Mensinger do? He takes the word of a convicted liar, that the system is functioning! When pressed with these facts, and that he should conduct an investigation, CCO Mensinger grows furious and refuses to conduct an investigation. Why? And again, where is the Board of Directors? Oh yeah, they can't be contacted because the email system does not work!
Has the Board of Directors ever gotten curious about the member to director email system? Not that I'm aware of. You'd have to be pretty stupid to be a director of an organization with a couple or three million members and to never ever hear from one, and not wonder, "why?". But, that's the state of the NRA's board. Blind, deaf and dumb.
Has the Board of Directors ever wondered why a run of the mill staffer at HQ was suddenly promoted to Executive Director of Whittington Center? And who did that, newly promoted Whittington Executive Director work for? Did he work for NRA membership? Or did he work for Director Ronald Schmeits? There's many curious things going on in Raton, New Mexico. Many nasty accusations against Director Schmeits, and VIP's staying at hotels he owns, on NRA members dimes, as opposed to staying at lodging on site, and logging firms he owns getting exclusive logging rights to Whittington Center land. Now, supposedly CCO Mensinger went out there, heard some people talk, and dropped it. Case closed. Is this true? Didn't the Audit Committee care to know if these allegations were true? Never mind that Director Schmeits is also the Whittington Center's Chairman.
Then there's the Executive Director of Whittington Center, David Kelner. Yes, he was that HQ staffer who got a sudden promotion to being Whittington's executive director. Why is that?
That's as stupid of like promoting a magazine editor to CEO, overnight... But back to Mr. Kelner.
There's a curious case of a shooting out at Whittington Center. I say "shooting", not "accidental gun shot wound", because, the police investigation was pitifully inadequate.
The police failed to immediately secure the scene, and failed to immediately secure the weapon. What firearm, what bullet, was it an accident, was it attempted murder? God only knows. But, I'm sure there's much relief at NRA HQ that Mr. Kelner's retiring.
Why did the NRA try so hard to cover this up? Why didn't CCO Mensinger or the Board of Directors care to look into this?
Oh, let's not forget other board members. There's Ken Blackwell. No one, not CEO Hamlin, not CCO Mensinger, not President Barr, not Mr. Jeff Knox, seems to be at all interested in Mr. Blackwell. Why? Isn't the fact that Mr. Blackwell was vice chair of a quasi non governmental organization which had a money laundering scheme that funneled $21 million in taxpayer funds to anti gun groups worth an investigation? Or do you all just hope and pray Mr. Blackwell quietly resigns at the annual meetings? Mr. Knox knew he'd resign on February 18th...
I for one, would like to know if Mr. Blackwell misappropriated any NRA funds. Once a crook, usually a crook forever more...
But CCO Mensinger doesn't want to. Mr. Knox makes excuses that Mr. Blackwell offered a "conservative voice" to this NGO. Really? What's "conservative" about laundering tax payer funds to anti gun groups? If Mr. Blackwell was a "conservative" he wouldn't have been involved in that NGO to begin with.
Oh, and our esteemed CEO Hamlin told me, "I don't know what to make of the Ken Blackwell thing." Oh dear... Isn't there anyone competent at the NRA?
And for Mr. Knox's comment, check the comments section here,
And since we're on the topic of incompetence, how's the health of NRA HQ employees? How many have been exposed to black mold? Wouldn't that make for a lovely class action lawsuit? After all the officers, and board, failed to tend to HQ's roof, for years. Hmm, i wonder if that has anything to do with the member to director email system being non functional. Did the servers get wet? Did they fail to be replaced? It's no secret the servers had to be raised so as not to get caught in the flooding. It's no secret that tarps were hung over employees desks. Has the mold been taken care of? Or are NRA employees, like NRA members, expendable?
And NRA range was closed due to flooding? Source,
How many shooters will have been exposed to mold?...
Now lets get to the Museum. That's something no one, anywhere at any level wants to talk about. Are firearms and other artifacts "walking" out of the museum? Are they being sold off?
Are firearms being allowed to deteriorate? And what about the auction house? Or auction houses? Why isn't the board curious about this? Wouldn't it be ironic if the ATF raided the National Firearms Museum and found the records and arms, didn't match? That items were missing? Think of all the felony charges...
So here's something about a auction house, or THE auction house, auctioning off some curious pieces,
And why was the former senior curator treated like a criminal? Why was he NOT allowed to see the museum galleries? And a sixth floor roof cave in?...
Source,
And can the CEO still sell off anything he wants from the museum? And still do anything he wants with the proceeds? Or has this resolution been rescinded? And both the Gun Collectors Committee and the Finance Committee voted for this? Sources,
And how do firearms which a former curator, loans the the National Firearms Museum, "could not be found"... How? Again, where is the board of directors? Somebody call the ATF! Source,
How does a rifle get "bumped" during maintenance? Mr. Schreier and MIA Board of Directors can't deny this one, there's photos... Source,
And how much damage was done to the firearms and other artifacts? Have the firearms and other artifacts been restored? Or did they just "walk" away? And no museum registrar? Is there a registrar now? Source,
Maybe Mr. Hogan of Rock Island Auction Company and now former NRA director, should be asked as to where some of these firearms went? Source,
Now, the big one. What is the National Rifle Association? "America's oldest civil rights organization"? A "Second Amendment organization"? Please, spare me.
Ever since the NRA got into politics, it's been more often than not, anti gun. It supported the National Firearms Act of 1934- Suppressor problem anyone? SBR? SBS? AOW? Fully automatic weapons?
"Karl Frederick served as president of the National Rifle Association (from 1934 to 1935) and vice president of the US Revolver Association. He testified during hearings on the National Firearms Act in 1934, saying "I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I seldom carry one. I have when I felt it was desirable to do so for my own protection. I know that applies in most of the instances where guns are used effectively in self-defense or in places of business and in the home. I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses."
That's aged well...
It supported the Federal Firearms Act of 1938. One could debate where the current national gun registry began, in 1934 or 1938, thanks NRA. Then the Gun Control Act of 1968, "At the time of its passage in 1968, NRA executive vice president Franklin Orth wrote in American Rifleman that "the measure as a whole appears to be one that the sportsmen of America can live with"." Another statement which has aged well. Thanks NRA.
The NRA supported the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, which included, the Hughes Amendment which banned fully automatic weapons... Remember, the NFA merely regulated fully automatic weapons. Good job NRA.
The NRA supported Bush Sr.'s import bans on "scary guns". The NRA supported Brady/NICS, which along with the earlier GCA, and the earlier FFA and NFA, created the now infamous billion entry national firearms registry. Great job NRA! Trust the government, they're here to help! B.S.
Fast forward, and then the NRA supports bump stock bans and red flag laws. Don't believe me? Here's an official NRA video,
That hasn't aged well either.
Then why does NRA ILA keep giving good ratings to anti gun politicians, as long as they're Republicans? Red Flag Rick Scott, got a "B" during his last re-election campaign, as I recall. The NRA ILA gives Lyndsey Graham and gave Marco Rubio good marks as well. I could list more, but you get the point. Why? Shouldn't an anti gunner, regardless of party get a "F", plain and simple?
The National Rifle Association does not have a policy on the Second Amendment. The NRA's been around since 1871. Think of how long it took America's Founding Fathers to draft and adopt the US Constitution which included the Second Amendment. Why doesn't "America's oldest civil rights organization" have a policy on the Second Amendment? Must I remind you, that Gun Owners Of America has a policy on the Second Amendment. Can you guess what it is? "No compromise". That's right, just two words, "No compromise". Nice and simple. And they stick by it too.
Yet, the NRA and former president, and then NRA director Marion Hammer fought GOA a few years ago in Florida, when GOA was pushing the state Republicans to pass a permitless concealed carry bill. Sources,
https://www.gunowners.org/florida-becomes-26th-state-to-enact-permitless-carry/ Why does NRA compromise? And why get in the way of pro gun bills?
While we're on the subject of directors, such as Ms. Hammer and Mr. Hogan, let's not forget Ms. Hammer got paid a lot of money... Millions of dollars. Source,
Yet, a director is an unpaid position. How many current directors are being paid? Mr. Knox says none are, but given the Audit Committee's habit of doing things retroactively, and CCO Mensinger's habit of doing nothing at all, is the following true?
Jeff Knox
WB, while I agree that reducing the Board is important, and I will continue working on that, it’s important to know that the Board is a wholly volunteer group. Though a few Directors had various financial arrangements with the NRA in the past — some reasonable, others not so reasonable — all of that was ended a good while back.
And if Mr. Knox is correct, how can we verify it, again, given both the Audit Committee's and CCO Mensinger's absolute ineptness, or worse? Perhaps Mr. Knox, could show us how he knows that no directors are currently being paid?
Another thing about the board, why does the NRA have 76 directors? You all know the corporate average is 12? With many corporations in the 7 to 10 directors range. The board is the biggest failure of the NRA. It has allowed 91 years of moral corruption, yes, I say moral corruption, in regards to Negotiating Rights Away. Further the board has allowed for the past 40 years, mass financial corruption, the museum being plundered, the Foundation robbed, Whittington's a mess, it's allowed every sort of money laundering scheme one can think of to happen.
And why? Because most of the board views having a seat at the table as a membership to a club. Meanwhile, a dozen or so, crooks, lead the group, and the directors with the club mindset, vote how they're told to, without asking questions, without looking at the books, without doing anything at all, simply because they like being apart of the club.
So, what is the NRA? What's "NRA 2.0"? Where's "reform"? What is "reform"? Is the NRA even pro gun?
Do I want the NRA to survive? That'd be nice, under two conditions, first that it becomes honest, and that includes money and a whole lot more like transparency, and two that it becomes a truly NO COMPROMISE Second Amendment organization.
How will that occur? Electing "reformers" to the board has been an epic failure. Changing out a absolute crook like LaPierre, for a magazine editor, such as Hamlin... You guys call that a "course correction"? "Righting the ship"? "NRA 2.0"? I'm at a loss as to how he still has a job. You hire a Chief Compliance Officer, who is a Chief Compliance Officer in name only? How does he still have a job? And you keep a man who was found guilty of making false statements on NRA documents... That's a polite way of saying Secretary John Frazer is a proven liar... And he hasn't been fired?
The only chance of true honest change, that I see is by suing the NRA into submission. And, in the mean time, urging every gun owner to withhold all donations and membership renewals.
The NRA, today, April 21st 2025, is comprised primarily of a band of absolute morons and cowards, and a couple dozen, unabashed crooks.
The NRA must be defunded and sued into submission. If that doesn't work, then, gun owners will simply leave, and go support other 2A groups, like GOA... Which we're doing in droves.
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Who the hell is this guy?". Well, first off, contrary to CEO Hamlin's ranting and raving, no, I do not work for George Soros or Michael Bloomberg... If I did, why would I spend so much time trying to save the NRA from suicide? No, I'm just a guy, who never went to college, who was merely given a so called diploma and shown the door at the end of the 12th grade, because the teachers didn't want me around for another year. I'm 32 years old. I like guns, and I love rifles, and yes, Mr. Stoner designed the greatest shoulder fired weapon system ever devised. But I'm just a guy, who is capable of reading, listening, and thinking. Questions pop into my head, and I have what some would consider a nasty habit of asking these questions as they're so often inconvenient, and I bring up even more inconvenient facts. And I refuse to tolerate CEO Hamlin's incompetence, nor CCO Mensinger's failures to investigate, nor the brush offs from President Barr, nor the lying Secretary Frazer, nor the Missing In Action Board of Directors. I'm stubborn... Norwegian blood.
Enough, is enough. Membership is mad as hell.
I'm an NRA life member, who's mad as hell, that YOU, the National Rifle Association, STOLE my annual membership dues, then later my life membership fees, and my seasonal donations. And the dues and donations of millions of others!
Enough, is enough. Membership is mad as hell.
Nicholas Olson
NRA Member Number [REDACTED]
P.S. I just read President Trump won't be appearing at the annual meetings. That'd be the first one he's missed since 2015... Ouch, that's gotta hurt. Being disowned by the President of the United States of America! Now you can't lure members away from the board meeting so easily.
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