NRA Sues Ackerman-McQueen, Ackerman-McQueen Tries to Oust LaPierre at Meeting

[Aguila Blanca]

LaPierre just doesn't get it. I wonder what donations look like these days, compared to a year or two ago.

[MTT TL]

Originally Posted by Bartholomew Roberts

The purges continue: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/wa...is-gun-owners/

NRA-ILA abandons severs relationship with outside counsel Cooper & Kirk, leaving several states rights groups engaged in ongoing litigation high and dry.

Wow, just wow. If there was ever any doubt about what this was about it should now be crystal clear to everyone. He certainly no longer cares at all about gun rights, if he ever did.

[Bottom Gun]

I'm appalled by what appears to be a vindictive act of desperation by Wayne.
Meanwhile, the NRA continues to circle the drain.

The NRA won't see so much as another dime from me until changes are made. That includes the NRA roundups with merchants I buy from.

[Tony Z]

Donations must be really off! Getting one to two solicitation letters per week and a similar number of emails per day. I will not give another cent until I understand what is going on. If ever there was a need for truth, it is now.

[Bottom Gun]

All members need to make their feelings known to the NRA. They need to know just how many members disapprove.

I contacted them regarding my concerns relating to the current controversy but have received no reply or even an acknowledgement of my contact from them. Maybe I was supposed to send a check with my correspondence.

[TailGator]

Every time I think it can't get worse, it does. It sounds like Cooper is being magnanimous, but LaPierre was willing to torpedo active litigation in an effort to save his own skin. Is there any indication that Cooper had actually take any position or action against LaPierre, or is this developing paranoia? Who has the power to stop this? The board is hand picked and loyal, I guess. Will it take a class-action lawsuit by members and ex-members?

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Speaking of getting worse:

This article alleges membership money was used to pay off a sexual harassment claim against WLP’s chief of staff: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/nr...st-coo-powell/

[MTT TL]

Originally Posted by Bartholomew Roberts

Speaking of getting worse:

This article alleges membership money was used to pay off a sexual harassment claim against WLP’s chief of staff: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/nr...st-coo-powell/

I think we would have to find out more about the case and what Virginia law says before making a claim of impropriety.

The big question is why would they keep him? That is the real mystery.

Sad to see the ship going down so fast.

They have gotten any of my money since this whole mess started in March. Given the situation is well past time to start looking elsewhere.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Bartholomew Roberts

Speaking of getting worse:

This article alleges membership money was used to pay off a sexual harassment claim against WLP’s chief of staff: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/nr...st-coo-powell/

Unless my reading comprehension skills have deteriorated more than I thought possible, what this article seems to say is that Ackerman-McQueen reported that Josh Powell had sexually harassed an Ackerman-McQueen employee, so the NRA made a confidential payment to settle a sexual harassment claim made by an NRA employee.

Did I get that right?

[Aguila Blanca]

I just received my first NRA fund raising call in quite some time. The young woman on the phone initially became argumentative when I informed her that I would not contribute until Wayne LaPierre is gone, and I asked her to convey that to the board of directors. She then reiterated that she was from ___ fund raising company, and hung up.

It's funny [NOT!] how these calls all start out with "we" do this, and "we" have to pitch in and help out ... until you mention that you don't support the problems at the NRA, and then suddenly the sweatshop drone makes it clear that she doesn't work for the NRA.

[zukiphile]

Unless my reading comprehension skills have deteriorated more than I thought possible, what this article seems to say is that Ackerman-McQueen reported that Josh Powell had sexually harassed an Ackerman-McQueen employee, so the NRA made a confidential payment to settle a sexual harassment claim made by an NRA employee.

Did I get that right?

I understood these to be two different people making two separate allegations.

[Bottom Gun]

I just received my first NRA fund raising call in quite some time. The young woman on the phone initially became argumentative when I informed her that I would not contribute until Wayne LaPierre is gone, and I asked her to convey that to the board of directors. She then reiterated that she was from ___ fund raising company, and hung up.

My experience was different. The lady who called me was very personable and appeared to be quite sympathetic to my concerns regarding the current situation at the NRA She also said that she would gladly pass my comments on the powers that be.
Whether that happened or not is anyone's guess.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by zukiphile

I understood these to be two different people making two separate allegations.

Ah, so.

You are correct. Which certainly emphasizes the question: Why is Powell still employed by the NRA?

[MTT TL]

He is a nightmare from a liability standpoint. Another case and they could go after the organization itself for failing to provide a safe work environment etc.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Well, there are plenty of legitimate reasons you might want to settle a sexual harassment allegation even if it isn’t legitimate. What would concern me is NRA alleges Ackerman McQueen made the allegations as part of the wider dispute involving NRA. The reason AM could credibly make the allegation was the previous claim and settlement.

So knowing that NRA and AM were about to have a serious disagreement, why was Powell in a position where AM could even make the claim? Why wasn’t he following the Pence rule?

If NRA can’t see that coming, exactly how are they in the political lobbying business?

[Doyle]

It's funny [NOT!] how these calls all start out with "we" do this, and "we" have to pitch in and help out ... until you mention that you don't support the problems at the NRA, and then suddenly the sweatshop drone makes it clear that she doesn't work for the NRA.

I think it ironic that I expressed the opinion earlier in this thread that the callers in fact really had no true connection to the NRA and were just "hired help". Some people here disagreed with my assessment.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by Doyle

I think it ironic that I expressed the opinion earlier in this thread that the callers in fact really had no true connection to the NRA and were just "hired help". Some people here disagreed with my assessment.

You were quite correct, but the telephone solicitation contractors use scripts that are well-crafted to hide the fact that the callers don't really work for the NRA. Once you've analyzed a few fund raising calls, it becomes pretty easy to spot the ones who are actually working in professional fund raising sweat shops. The NRA is hardly alone in this.

And another reason never to agree to donate through one of these calls is that the fund raiser typically gets a large percentage of whatever they bring in. There were some statistics in my state a few years ago about fund raisers who were calling on behalf of police and fire fighter organizations. It turned out that the police and fire fighter groups were only getting about 15 percent of the donations -- the rest went to pay the cost of the fund raising effort.

So if you want to send $50 or $100 or $10,000 to the NRA ... write a check for $50 or $100 or $10,000 and send it to the NRA. That way it'll go where you want it to go rather than most of it going into the pocket of a sleazy fund raiser.

[USNRet93]

Any body that would give out their CC# on a solicitation cold call..is nutz..IMHO..considering the amount of bogus cold calls that are so common these days. If ya want to donate to putnameoforganizationhere..then go online and do it securely...IMHO..

[Mainah]

Why is Powell still employed by the NRA?

Maybe they decided that now that they've alienated membership in general the best move is to target specific groups like women.

[thallub]

Josh Powell is the COO of the NRA. His salary is $800,000 per year.

In June, 2019 NRA board member Robert Brown asked WLP to fire Powell as he had promised:

In June, Robert Brown, an NRA board member, emailed LaPierre and Frazer about Powell. ProPublica obtained a copy of the note, which is addressed to Frazer. “John,” it says, “Since Wayne refuses to respond to my emails, plez pass on to him the message below.”

“Wayne,” the message reads, “At the last NRA BoD meeting, you promised me you were going to terminate that worthless scoundrel, Josh Powell, in 60 days. Well, 60 days have passed. When are you going to fire him?”

https://www.propublica.org/article/n...t-top-official

[MTT TL]

I see this as game over for the NRA. They may or may not exist in the future as a gun rights organization but their previous power is gone forever. Every day this continues they break faith with and alienate more and more people.

In a democracy refusing to be accountable for your actions has consequences. Their lack of any meaningful explanation and refusal to take appropriate actions during this internal implosion has made them irrelevant.

[JERRYS.]

wow, do NOT go to the 1911 forums saying anything like this. they are carrying NRA water like crazy, and you will get banned.

[MTT TL]

I don't think I am old enough to post on the 1911 forums. I only retired five years ago. There will always be some diehard supporters. But they call them "diehard" for a reason.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by JERRYS.

wow, do NOT go to the 1911 forums saying anything like this. they are carrying NRA water like crazy, and you will get banned.

???

Which 1911 forums are you referring to? The one I mostly spend my 1911-related time on certainly isn't "carrying NRA water." There are several "1911 forums." If you're going to criticize one (or two, or three) of them, please be specific rather than tarring all with the same brush.

[JERRYS.]

Originally Posted by Aguila Blanca

???

Which 1911 forums are you referring to? The one I mostly spend my 1911-related time on certainly isn't "carrying NRA water." There are several "1911 forums." If you're going to criticize one (or two, or three) of them, please be specific rather than tarring all with the same brush.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=998828