NRA: Chris Cox Resigns

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Does anyone here know whether NRA-ILA, which takes separate donations, is using all its separate donations for the activities for which we donate?
 
Does anyone here know whether NRA-ILA, which takes separate donations, is using all its separate donations for the activities for which we donate?

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National Rifle Assn
The National Rifle Association goes to great lengths (and spends a huge sum of money) to defend the right to bear arms. It is opposed to virtually every form of gun regulation, including restrictions on owning assault weapons, retention of databases of gun purchases, background checks on purchasers at gun shows and changes in the registration of firearms.

Show More Information About National Rifle Assn:
The NRA's influence is felt not only through campaign contributions but through millions of dollars in off-the-books spending on issue ads. Lobbying expenditures for the National Rifle Association regularly exceed $1.5 million and increased from $3.2 million in 2016 to more than $5.1 million in 2017. The organization's lobbyists frequently try to exert their influence over government agencies including members of Congress, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Profile for 2018 Election Cycle

CONTRIBUTIONS

$873,071
ranks 548 of 19,275
LOBBYING

$5,076,000 (2018)
$5,122,000 (2017)
ranks 83 of 4,267 in 2018
OUTSIDE SPENDING

$9,551,320
ranks 21 of 258
MEMBERS
INVESTED

0

CONTRIBUTIONS: $873,071


Contributions to candidates: $711,654
Contributions to Leadership PACs: $41,250
Contributions to parties: $120,167
Contributions to 527 committees: $0
Contributions to outside spending groups: $0


Top Recipients
Recipient Total From Indivs From Orgs
National Republican Congressional Cmte $45,000 $0 $45,000
National Republican Senatorial Cmte $30,000 $0 $30,000
Republican National Cmte $16,752 $1,752 $15,000
Blackburn, Marsha $15,800 $5,900 $9,900
Cruz, Ted $9,900 $0 $9,900
Culberson, John $9,900 $0 $9,900
Faso, John $9,900 $0 $9,900
Hawley, Josh $9,900 $0 $9,900
Heller, Dean $9,900 $0 $9,900
Morrisey, Patrick $9,900 $0 $9,900
Peterson, Collin $9,900 $0 $9,900
Poliquin, Bruce $9,900 $0 $9,900
Renacci, Jim $9,900 $0 $9,900
Rosendale, Matt $9,900 $0 $9,900
Rothfus, Keith J $9,900 $0 $9,900
Ryan, Paul $9,900 $0 $9,900
Sessions, Pete $9,900 $0 $9,900
Stauber, Pete $9,900 $0 $9,900
Tenney, Claudia $9,900 $0 $9,900
Zeldin, Lee $9,900 $0 $9,900

The total of contributions to candidates from National Rifle Assn PACs is 59 times larger than contributions from individuals


Contributions from Individuals
$11,904


Contributions from PACs
$699,750
LOBBYING: $10,198,000 (2017-2018)

REVOLVING DOOR
14 out of 28 National Rifle Assn lobbyists in 2017-2018 have previously held government jobs
See their employment history by clicking on their RevDoor icon here

target.png
BILL MOST FREQUENTLY LOBBIED ON IN THE 114th CONGRESS: S.733 (Sportsmen's Act)
See more lobbying by National Rifle Assn
OUTSIDE SPENDING: $9,551,320
Discloses Donors? YES
Viewpoint: Conservative

Independent Expenditures: $8,989,810
For Democrats: $1,730
Against Democrats: $4,355,685
For Republicans: $5,149,314
Against Republicans: $44,591
Electioneering Communications: $0 icon_help_white.gif
Communication Costs: $561,510
See more outside spending by National Rifle Assn
Search for an organization:
Campaign finance totals for the current election cycle were released by the FEC on June 10, 2019 and by the IRS on June 18, 2018, lobbying data was released by the Senate Office of Public Records on March 19, 2019, outside spending data was released by the FEC on June 28, 2019, and personal finances data was released by the House, Senate, and US Office of Government Ethics starting in June 2011.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=d000000082

In light of the above, does anyone still think withholding NRA contributions will actually help the fight to preserve our 2A rights?

Regards,
hps

 
After doing some googling, Heres what I found.

From 2012 to 2016, the most recent numbers available, Washington is the state that has been the biggest recipient of NRA campaign contributions in efforts to elect pro 2A officials, with $203,000 in contributions during that time period.



https://www.kxly.com/news/report-nr...-in-washington-than-any-other-state/712974469

For that amount of money spent, Washington state has recently seen all semi-automatic rifles including .22lr semi auto rifles heavily restricted, mandatory universal background checks for all private sales implemented statewide, safe storage laws that criminalize victims of firearm thefts, red flag laws, and will see an upcoming magazine capacity restriction bill that will no doubt pass into law.

Wayne Lapierre's spending habits account for more than $274,000 in clothing FROM ONE RETAILER ALONE, another $267,000 in travel expenses.

https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/leaked-nra-documents-wayne-lapierre-lavish-spending/

Wayne Lapierre has spend almost 3x on personal expenses than the NRA has spent in Washington state in 4 years, its biggest recipient of NRA campaign contributions...And Washingtonians have seen no positive results. None. I remember seeing zero NRA presence or advertisements during the push for all this massive new gun control legislature that Washington has seen recently implemented.

I won't be spending another dime on the NRA until their priorities more closely align with mine and reflect a focus on the issues that I intend my contributions to go towards.

It was the voters of King County who put those infringements in place. The NRA was outspent 10X by those who supported those infringements.
 
silicosys4 said:
After doing some googling, Heres what I found.

From 2012 to 2016, the most recent numbers available, Washington is the state that has been the biggest recipient of NRA campaign contributions in efforts to elect pro 2A officials, with $203,000 in contributions during that time period.



https://www.kxly.com/news/report-nr...-in-washington-than-any-other-state/712974469

For that amount of money spent, Washington state has recently seen all semi-automatic rifles including .22lr semi auto rifles heavily restricted, mandatory universal background checks for all private sales implemented statewide, safe storage laws that criminalize victims of firearm thefts, red flag laws, and will see an upcoming magazine capacity restriction bill that will no doubt pass into law.

Wayne Lapierre's spending habits account for more than $274,000 in clothing FROM ONE RETAILER ALONE, another $267,000 in travel expenses.

https://www.thetrace.org/rounds/leaked-nra-documents-wayne-lapierre-lavish-spending/

Wayne Lapierre has spend almost 3x on personal expenses than the NRA has spent in Washington state in 4 years, its biggest recipient of NRA campaign contributions...And Washingtonians have seen no positive results. None. I remember seeing zero NRA presence or advertisements during the push for all this massive new gun control legislature that Washington has seen recently implemented.

I won't be spending another dime on the NRA until their priorities more closely align with mine and reflect a focus on the issues that I intend my contributions to go towards.


silicosys4, "Washington is the state that has been the biggest recipient of NRA campaign contributions in efforts to elect pro 2A officials, with $203,000 in contributions during that time period."

Might dig a little deeper and you'll find:


NRA-ILA CONTRIBUTIONS: $873,071


Contributions to candidates: $711,654
Contributions to Leadership PACs: $41,250
Contributions to parties: $120,167
Contributions to 527 committees: $0
Contributions to outside spending groups: $0

Top Recipients
Recipient
Total From Indivs From Orgs
National Republican Congressional Cmte $45,000 $0 $45,000
National Republican Senatorial Cmte $30,000 $0 $30,000
Republican National Cmte $16,752 $1,752 $15,000
Blackburn, Marsha $15,800 $5,900 $9,900
Cruz, Ted $9,900 $0 $9,900
Culberson, John $9,900 $0 $9,900
Faso, John $9,900 $0 $9,900
Hawley, Josh $9,900 $0 $9,900
Heller, Dean $9,900 $0 $9,900
Morrisey, Patrick $9,900 $0 $9,900
Peterson, Collin $9,900 $0 $9,900
Poliquin, Bruce $9,900 $0 $9,900
Renacci, Jim $9,900 $0 $9,900
Rosendale, Matt $9,900 $0 $9,900
Rothfus, Keith J $9,900 $0 $9,900
Ryan, Paul $9,900 $0 $9,900
Sessions, Pete $9,900 $0 $9,900
Stauber, Pete $9,900 $0 $9,900
Tenney, Claudia $9,900 $0 $9,900
Zeldin, Lee $9,900 $0 $9,900

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/nra-chris-cox-resigns.853047/page-6#post-11167076

NRA Spending Approached Half A Billion Dollars In 2016 entire article here:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nra-2016-spending_n_5a0dd3e6e4b0b17e5e14e636

The NRA Placed Big Bets on the 2016 Election, and Won Almost All of Them
OpenSecrets Blog and The Trace partnered on this story; it was published by both outlets. In North Carolina, the NRA spent $6.2 million on the incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Burr, the most it has ever invested in a down-ballot race. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) The National Rifle Association took a historic gamble in 2016, and it paid off in a huge way. The gun rights group placed multimillion-dollar bets on Donald Trump and six Republican Senate candidates locked in highly competitive races. It poured $50.2 million, or 96 percent of its total outside spending, into these races, and lost only one — an open seat in Nevada, vacated by the Democratic Minority Leader, Harry Reid. That race cost the NRA roughly $2.5 million. The NRA’s big night came as a tidal wave of white voters without college degrees voted overwhelmingly for Trump, leading to one of the biggest election-night upsets in memory. The reasons why this demographic turned out in such high numbers for the GOP nominee will be parsed for years, and it is not at all clear how much of a factor his embrace of the NRA’s hardline position on gun rights played into the outcome. But the NRA’s investment, which was more than any other outside group, paid for a slew of ads that directly targeted the same voters who propelled Trump to victory. The organization’s radio and television spots sought to cast Hillary Clinton and the Democratic rivals of its preferred Senate candidates as an existential threat to the Second Amendment, and national security. It is a message that resonates in the gun belt, a swath of primarily Southern and Midwestern states where Trump achieved some of his most consequential victories. In October alone, according to the Center for Public Integrity, roughly one out of every 20 television ads in Pennsylvania was sponsored by the NRA. That same month, the group paid for one in nine ads in North Carolina, and one of every eight in Ohio. The ads imply that Clinton and Democrats would leave law-and-order abiding citizens defenseless. In one spot, a woman is alone in bed when a burglar breaks into her home. The narrator intones, “Don’t let Hillary leave you protected with nothing but a phone.” Trump won all three states, and the NRA’s preferred Senate candidates also swept to victory. FINAL_NRAs-Biggest-Bets-5200x0-c-default.png The NRA’s largest 2016 outlay was the $30.3 million it spent in support of Trump. In North Carolina, the group spent $6.2 million on the incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr, the most it has ever invested in a down-ballot race. Burr won by about six percentage points. Elsewhere, the NRA helped elect Senators Marco Rubio in Florida; Roy Blunt in Missouri; Todd Young in Indiana; and Rob Portman in Ohio. It spent between $2 million and $3.2 million on each of those races. The numbers account for independent expenditures—unrestricted money spent on ads and other media, independent of official campaigns.

The 2016 election results represent a continuation of the NRA’s impressive success rate when making substantial investments in closely-contested races. Over the three prior election cycles, the group disbursed $1 million dollars or more toward 14 congressional races and achieved its desired outcome 11 times. To help Republicans win back the Senate in 2014, it spent $20.6 million dollars on five key races in the upper chamber, and in each of them, its preferred candidate won. This election cycle, the NRA spent more than $52 million—a number that will rise as final campaign finance figures are tallied — to carry on its effort to increase Republican control of government, a mission that has ramped up since the Citizen’s United decision in 2010, when the Supreme Court removed caps on independent expenditures. The sum is by far the greatest in the organization’s history, smashing its previous record, of $31.7 million, set in 2014. In federal elections, the NRA typically ranks among heavyweight outside spending groups. For the second cycle in a row, it has earned a place in the top ten. But 2016 was a unique year for the organization, owing to the fact that many super PACs, like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads GPS, which spent roughly $115 million to elect Mitt Romney in 2012, declined to back Trump. The NRA stepped in to fill the void, putting at least $30.3 million on the line to help elect the real estate mogul, more than any other outside group — including the leading Trump super PAC, which spent $20.3 million. By comparison, the gun rights group deployed about $12.5 million to help Romney in 2012. FINAL-Presidential-Races-Comparison-5000x0-c-default.png The close relationship between the NRA and Donald Trump began in May when the organization endorsed the candidate earlier than it had ever endorsed a Republican presidential contender. Trump appeared before thousands of people at the NRA convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where he gleefully accepted the organization’s official support. “The Second Amendment is under threat like never before,” Trump told the crowd. “Crooked Hillary is the most anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment candidate ever to run for office.” In July, the NRA’s top lobbyist, Chris Cox, was given a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. He reminded attendees that the next president would fill a Supreme Court vacancy, and the new Justice could directly affect gun rights. “A Hillary Clinton Supreme Court means your right to own a firearm is gone,” he said. Before Election Day, polls suggested that the Senate, under Republican control since 2014, was up for grabs. Now in the position of defending the upper chamber, the NRA focused the majority of its resources on six toss-up seats, hoping to keep or flip them Republican. The House, under Republican control before the election, was not expected to change hands, and so it was not a priority for the NRA. All told, it sprinkled roughly $1 million over 48 races. The group made two substantial investments in Republican incumbent candidates — just under $215,000 in Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania and about $175,000 in Bruce Poliquin of Maine. Both candidates won.
[Graphics: Francesca Mirabile for The Trace. Photo: Lionel Hahn/ABACAPRESS.com]

Researcher Anya Gelernt-Dunkle contributed to this post.

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/20...the-2016-election-and-won-almost-all-of-them/

This is just a couple of articles regarding NRA political contributions. Note the only race NRA lost in the extremely critical fight to hang on to the Senate was the NV race to fill vacancy left by Harry Reid and look how that came out:

February 12, 2019
Cortez Masto Cosponsors Bill to Ban High-Capacity Gun Magazines Read entire article here:
https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/...nsors-bill-to-ban-high-capacity-gun-magazines


AND


Sen. Cortez Masto Calls on Congress to Pass Gun Control Read entire article here:
https://www.kunr.org/post/sen-cortez-masto-calls-congress-pass-gun-control#stream/0

Enough, or should I continue? I can if you wish.

Do I approve of WLP's expenditure on clothing: NO, but the left biased news media presents that story in a manner that leads the reader to the mistaken belief that this was done in one year. It was actually over a number of years and in the grand scheme of things (compared to the numbers shown above) is a drop in the bucket.
For the record, I think WLP can afford to furnish his own clothing!

I repeat my previous question. Still think withholding NRA contributions will benefit our fight to retain 2A rights?
Regards,
hps
 
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Wow: An internal audit. Smacks of John Gotti conducting an investigation of the Mafia.

And just what else can they do? Before they can correct any malfeasance, they must first find if it exists, then determine the extent and identify the perpetrators and that is exactly what is taking place currently.

As I previously alluded to, the NYAG has already advised NRA to preserve all financial records and you can be sure the IRS is next in line to see if any irregularities have taken place.

This will take time to complete. It will not be done overnight.

ETA:
https://www.nra.org/nra_message/An_...m_Your_NRA_Leadership_and_Past_Presidents.pdf



Regards,
hps
 
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It was the voters of King County who put those infringements in place. The NRA was outspent 10X by those who supported those infringements.

Perhaps the NRA should focus on spending at a competitive level rather than padding certain NRA administrators pockets. Perhaps they would be more effective in their message if they focused on 2A rights rather than engaging in the particular type of political rhetoric that alienates potential allies

I repeat my previous question. Still think withholding NRA contributions will benefit our fight to retain 2A rights?

I think sending my contributions elsewhere to other advocacy groups will do a lot more to retain my 2A rights than sending it to the NRA.
 
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I'm an NRA Life Member but by myself I cannot influence the NRA to any degree. Like so many others I'm not contributing until the NRA house is in order. I noticed that the THR has 207,445 members and that's a significant number. Is there a likelihood that our Administrator can send a message to the NRA that our membership is withdrawing support unless there is a house cleaning?
 
There is no such thing as a pro-gun politician, yes some may be less anti-gun than others, but boiled down they are all ANTI-GUN.
At my local gun shop, the owner recently told me that the representative for our district came in regularly. Buying lots of ammo, mags, gear, had custom rifles built (AR's) and was apparently a big spender and a seemingly outspoken advocate for gun rights. He voted "FOR" the mag ban, UBC, Bump stock Ban, 24 hr waiting period, etc...

I was shocked. He apparently has not shown his face in the shop since the vote took place and the owner told me if he comes in the prices will go up 100 fold...
 
And just what else can they do?

Hire an unbiased outside auditor.

BTW: The NRA lawyer who's getting much donated NRA money is William Brewer III. William Brewer has a history of donating money to anti-gunners, including Hillary Clinton.

https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-l...rewer&cycle=&state=TX&zip=75201&employ=&cand=

Disclaimer: Another poster found the above link.

BTW: William Brewer is the brother-in-law and son-in-law of Ackerman-McQueen's top two officers.

Brewer attempted to "poll" a sitting jury in a Texas case and got into trouble. A judge in VA threw him out of court.

What could possibly go wrong here?
 
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I'm an NRA Life Member but by myself I cannot influence the NRA to any degree. Like so many others I'm not contributing until the NRA house is in order. I noticed that the THR has 207,445 members and that's a significant number. Is there a likelihood that our Administrator can send a message to the NRA that our membership is withdrawing support unless there is a house cleaning?
Excellent thought. Start throwing punches
 
My point exactly. For my NRA contributions, I have seen, WLP's wardrobe and vacation travel increase while my 2A rights have diminished. Not my idea of effective use of funds.



I think sending my contributions elsewhere to other advocacy groups will do a lot more to retain my 2A rights than sending it to the NRA.

Great. Lots of other dogs in this fight and they can also use the $$; some better than others.

Regards,
hps
 
I am so glad my gun club makes it mandatory to be a NRA member. Thank God I do not have to listen to all the nonsense against the NRA at that club. Nice people that all get along, great range, great safety. If you do not like the NRA then fine, move on! Find something else to bash all day every day. Get on CNN, they would love to have you as a guest and listen to you bash the NRA. Form a Anti- NRA group, maybe CNN will help you fund it.
 
Like him or not Chris Cox was likely the most politically influential, pro-gun individual of the last two decades..
Cox should have stayed and Wayne should have left. But Wayne is a master of Machiavellian infighting. In fact he's a lot better at that than in promoting the RKBA.
 
Who is celebrating? Most seem to think it’s a loss. In fact, some in the ILA wish to separate themselves from WLP corruption.

Again, I hate to say that some of you just don’t get the point that wanting to get rid of bad personnel is not attacking the organization itself. Why are you unable to understand this or so bound up in a cult of personality?

I have seen three organizations that I was involved with have bad leadership. No one wanted the joint to fail, we just desired competency and honesty. The ‘leader’ had a cadre of toadies who bleated about disloyalty and wanting to destroy the place. However, they had a real board and the ‘leader’ was sent away, and the place was fine.

Get it through your head and understand the difference between personnel and the organization/cause.

If it takes a period of decreased contributions to get the personnel changes as the only effective input, that is regrettable.
 
Is there a likelihood that our Administrator can send a message to the NRA that our membership is withdrawing support unless there is a house cleaning?

Who or what is exactly "our" membership?

I am a endowment member to the NRA and dang proud of it. So far there has not been enough information to cause me resign from the NRA or not to support it.

Nothing has be said about Ollie North so I will. Ollie North is a rat. As past and current events show a Leopard cannot change it's spots.

He ratted out to Congress and the Public causing damage to our foreign relations and to the Reagan Administration about the Iran-Contra Affair.

When he did not get his way with the NRA ratted again releasing just enough information causing damage to the NRA's reputation and relations to other businesses.

Based on how FEW facts that have been made public it seems the NRA is trying to get it's house in order for the upcoming 2020 Presidential election. I don't watch much TV but I always felt the NRATV was a foolish business decision. TV Programs are expensive and risky.

The one shining thing is by all of this occurring in a non-election year is it gets the NRA the opportunity to get better prepared for what is most likely the most important election ever for gun owners. The Democrats only need to win the Presidency and flip three seats in the Senate to take TOTAL CONTROL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The Vice-President casts the deciding vote in cases of tie votes in the Senate but their are enough RINO's that it will not be necessary. How many members memory are so short not to remember the abuse of power by the BATF and FBI under the Clinton years? FFL dealers were forced to give up their licenses, a mother holding her baby was murdered, a young boy was shot in the back, 80 men, women and children were burned to death and no one was held accountable.

This time when Democrats regain control of the Federal Government it will be no more Mr. Nice Guy.
 
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Who is celebrating? Most seem to think it’s a loss. In fact, some in the ILA wish to separate themselves from WLP corruption.

I was mostly thinking of the OP..... “Chris Cox resigns, good riddance”

Most folks seem to want him and Wayne gone, and the fact is they have been the two most influential people in the pro-gun movement for the last two decades.

That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t go, it’s just reality, and it is certainly ironic, at least to me, that many (if not most) pro-gun people are ready to boot them both. Based on my observations and conversations with people.

I honestly don’t know enough about what is going on to say one way or the other who should go and who should stay, which is also likely the case with 90% of the people on this forum.


Again, I hate to say that some of you just don’t get the point that wanting to get rid of bad personnel is not attacking the organization itself. Why are you unable to understand this or so bound up in a cult of personality?

Agreed!
I just don’t consider myself informed enough to know who the bad personnel are.
 
I am so glad my gun club makes it mandatory to be a NRA member. Thank God I do not have to listen to all the nonsense against the NRA at that club. Nice people that all get along, great range, great safety. If you do not like the NRA then fine, move on! Find something else to bash all day every day. Get on CNN, they would love to have you as a guest and listen to you bash the NRA. Form a Anti- NRA group, maybe CNN will help you fund it.


I don't think you are not following this conversation. Most of us again WLP and his cronies want the NRA to succeed at it's core focus, the protection and promotion of 2A issues. WLP and company are clearly not making that their prime focus, they are wasting members money on things that are clearly not needed to or in support of pro-2A efforts. In the present situation our only way to influence the NRA and it's leadership is through withholding of money, there is very little other input to that system.

A few years ago being asked to join the NRA to join another shooting related club would have seemed good to me. In light of present events in the NRA I would walk away from a club that required NRA membership.
 
Again, I hate to say that some of you just don’t get the point that wanting to get rid of bad personnel is not attacking the organization itself. Why are you unable to understand this or so bound up in a cult of personality?

Why is it so hard for you to understand that withholding donations hurts the organization, whatever else it may, or may not accomplish?
 
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