Posted on 07/10/2024 12:33:26 PM PDT by mabarker1
As dedicated NRA supporters, we know it’s maddening to witness the betrayal from within our own ranks. The latest news reveals the agreed-upon settlement that Wilson “Woody” Phillips, the former CFO of the NRA, confessed to unethical conduct, further deepening the trust issues we’ve had with the organization’s leadership.
Phillips’ Deceitful Contract
Without disclosing their relationship, Phillips admitted to awarding a $1.36 million contract to HomeTelos, a tech company run by his then-girlfriend Nancy Richards. This was a blatant violation of NRA policies designed to prevent conflicts of interest. It took whistleblowers raising the alarm for Phillips to finally come clean about his actions long after the contract had ended.
Shielding LaPierre’s Extravagance
Phillips didn’t just stop at self-serving contracts. Among other things, Phillips was accused of approving invoices for LaPierre’s private jet flights to the Bahamas; facilitating payments to contractors owned by LaPierre’s friends; and allowing an arrangement through which the NRA paid back its longtime advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen, for travel, makeup and other expenses it covered for LaPierre and his wife. He was a key player in hiding Wayne LaPierre’s outrageous spending from the NRA’s internal controls. LaPierre, with Phillips’ assistance, misused millions of dollars on luxury travel, and even yacht trips. This was money meant to protect our Second Amendment rights, not fund their extravagant lifestyles.
$2 Million In Damages To The NRA
Now, Phillips is facing the consequences. He’s been banned from managing any not-for-profit’s finances in New York for the next ten years and owes $2 million in damages to the NRA. This settlement spares him from participating in the trial’s second phase but does little to restore our trust.
The Bigger Picture
This scandal is just the latest in a series of revelations about mismanagement at the NRA. We’ve seen how LaPierre, Phillips, and other top executives have abused their positions and our donations. The jury recently found LaPierre guilty of spending millions in NRA funds on personal luxuries and ordered him to repay almost $4.4 million. This betrayal cuts deep, especially for those of us who have invested our time, money, and trust in the NRA’s mission.
Taking Back Our Organization
As the trial continues, Attorney General Letitia James is pushing for measures to ensure this kind of corruption doesn’t happen again. She’s seeking an independent monitor for the NRA’s finances and wants to ban LaPierre from any leadership roles in New York charities. Manhattan Judge Joel Cohen will decide the remaining issues in the case beginning July 15th, 2024, including whether former LaPierre and ex-general counsel John Frazer should be barred from charitable organizations in the state.
For us, the rank-and-file members. We need to reclaim our organization from these corrupt individuals and ensure our contributions are used to fight for our rights, not to bankroll the lavish lifestyles of a few dishonest leaders. It’s time for a thorough cleanup and a return to the principles that made the NRA a powerful defender of the Second Amendment. Let’s demand accountability and integrity from those who represent us.
Read Related: National Rifle Association Is Looking For Strong NRA Board Candidates: Can You Step Up?
[[[BANG]]](((PING)))
[[[BANG]]](((PING)))
Who’s got the BANG PING LIST ???
ping
FYI PING
Thank You
*
You’re welcome.
When they clean this all up, I will become a member again.
Both Woody and LaPierre have to resign and take their legal hits.
The NRA must go on.
Until then, G.O.A.
We need to clean house 1977 Cincinnati style.
Why did it take the NY AG to find and stop this?
I miss Neal Knox.
I’m a lifetime member, paid my dues obviously but like any organization it needs a serious makeover. Been shitty for several years.
One wonders, when LaPierre, major weasel he, appeared in court, was he wearing a $1,000+ Zegna suit?
Good on ya' "Ma"!
This Ping List is for all news pertaining to infringes upon or victories for the 2nd Amendment.
FReepmail me if you want to be added to or deleted from this Ping List.
More 2nd Amendment related articles on FR's Bang List.
So crooked DC lobbyists dodged the auditors and got a $200,000 wardrobe, yacht trips, and private flights to the Bahamas? What I got out of a life membership was a snazzy patch, some decals, and the knowledge that Wayne LaPierre was well dressed. Should be enough for anybody...
Not to mention ever-lasting panic notices to send more money because your gun rights were being taken away, again. And again. And one more time.
Oh, and here’s a crappy magazine full of recycled content and advertising for new guns and ammunition that you won’t be able to find or buy for years...
Only reason I see for NRA surviving this long has been their stranglehold on range insurance programs.
Since it is the NRA members they stole from, can these two be shot?
Question is by pistol or rifle?
Thank You for the PING OUT.
Yeah, if you like junk mail this is the place to be. The mags are, unfortunately, suffering from the fact that you’ve already read most of that stuff online anyway. Did you know that “magazine” used to refer to the dead-tree stuff they send you and not the thingies you fill with cartridges? LOL! No, really...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.