The NRA Is Dead to Me!

Arlington, VA—Wayne LaPierre, who became Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the National eRifle Association (NRA) in 1991, announced his resignation on January 5, 2024, effective January 31, 2024. This marks the end of a shameful reign marred by corruption, greed, and betrayal.

It has become glaringly clear that LaPierre embezzled millions of dollars in dues paid by loyal members for his personal extravagance. During his decades-long grip on the NRA, he used the organization as his personal piggy bank, leaving members disillusioned and betrayed.

The true scope of this misconduct came to light in August 2020, when New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the NRA. The lawsuit exposed a staggering level of financial corruption under LaPierre’s leadership. It revealed that millions of dollars meant to defend the Second Amendment were instead spent on LaPierre’s lavish lifestyle, sweetheart deals for cronies, and contracts to silence former employees. These allegations include outrageous spending on personal luxuries, no-show jobs, and blatant mismanagement of funds.

The NRA’s once-proud reputation was shattered as members learned that the state of New York had to step in to expose the rot within its leadership. The lawsuit even sought to dissolve the NRA, citing violations of nonprofit laws that destroyed its charitable purpose.

One glaring example of LaPierre’s mismanagement was the NRA’s relationship with Ackerman McQueen, an Oklahoma City advertising firm. By 2017, the NRA was bleeding $40 million a year into this partnership. How much of that money found its way back into the pockets of LaPierre and his associates? The deal was so toxic that the two organizations eventually severed ties—but not before irreparable damage had been done.

Prominent celebrities once proud to stand with the NRA—like Tom Selleck, Ted Nugent, R. Lee Ermey, and Chuck Norris—walked away in disgust, unwilling to be associated with LaPierre’s toxic regime.

Until April 2024 John Frazer was General Counsel and Secretary. He held that title for nine years with a crazy salary of $400,000 a year.  The problem was that Frazer had no experience and only enjoyed the title.   Frazer was reelected as secretary, but he was removed from the general council position by the incoming CEO Doug Hamlin. In 2018 Bill Brewer was hired and seemed to handle the bulk of the legal work for the NRA bleeding the treasury to death.  It remains to be seen what the board is going to do now.  

I have some serious, unanswered questions:

1. What steps has the current NRA board taken to recover the millions LaPierre stole from its members?

2. Who is footing LaPierre’s legal bills? Are members still paying for his defense?

3. Can you tell me why the NRA has consistently been paying millions of dollars to the law firm of Brewer and Associates that hasn’t won a single case for the NRA yet?

4. Why is John Frazer still on the payroll? He was moved from General Counsel to Secretary, yet faces a serious State Bar complaint. Why hasn’t he been removed?

5. What accountability has been imposed on the board members who enabled and protected LaPierre’s cabal?

6. Has the NRA taken any meaningful steps to clean house and refocus on protecting gun rights, or is it still a personal ATM for corrupt leadership?

Members should also be deeply concerned about the NRA Museum, which holds countless priceless exhibits. At this rate, those treasures could be lost in a bankruptcy sale to pay for leadership’s failures.

Until every last parasite is removed, held accountable, and brought to justice, I will not rejoin the NRA. The organization I once supported has been hijacked by corruption, and its current leadership shows no signs of redemption.

Update: I’m hearing the Virginia State Bar complaint against Frazer was dismissed just last week.  

Why Are Hollywood Casting Directors Allowed to Commit Criminal Extortion?

Los Angeles, CA—For those that don’t know this I am a member of SAG-AFTRA.   That’s the union that represents actors and other talent for motion pictures, broadcast and web related entertainment.  

My union has worked to fight extortion when it involves sex in order to work but they’ve failed miserably to prevent actors from being forced to pay cash.   Young actors are usually broke and desperate as they try and compete for various roles.

Only a small percentage of actors have agents and those without agents have to get roles before agents will notice them.   In order to get seen and considered actors must audition with casting directors for he less important parts.  If you don’t get the small parts you can never compete for the larger roles.

The problem is the casting directors have set up a criminal enterprise and gotten away with it.  Actors are met with solicitations the moment they enter casting offices for acting classes.  The classes just happen to be run by the casting directors!

For the most part the classes are simply a sham but those paying for the classes get parts and the others don’t.  If actors don’t pay the casting directors they simply don’t get to play! 

There are very serious civil and criminal penalties involved but casting directors have been escaping any and all scrutiny by law enforcement.  The most obvious crimes and torts involved are extortion, restraint of trade and criminal racketeering. 

I ask why is a demand for sex in order to win an acting role and different than a demand for cash?   Actors want to work and making waves by asking the casting directors to end their extortion will in effect blackball the actor out of business forever! 

Acting classes are absolutely necessary.   Actors must run through the repetitive process of learning lines, speaking them understandably and timing the dialog.  There are lots of issues that actors must overcome to avoid becoming caricatures rather than the characters.   However it should never be the casting directors running the acting schools!  That is an obvious conflict of interest.

I ask where has the LAPD, FBI and California Department of Justice been?  I know that is impossible for them to work undercover to dismantle this criminal racket without first joining SAG-AFTRA.   

The victims here are young actors that are often struggling to avoid homelessness.  They are understandably afraid to complain about the people that have the power to banish them from acting altogether. 

Law enforcement has not been effectively been able to deal with this institutionalized decades long crime wave.  Perhaps SAG-AFTRA and the talent agencies need to recognize their responsibilities in this area. 

The Los Angeles City Attorney, Mike Feuer is asking that actors come forward if they have paid for classes or acting workshops run by the casting directors.  If you’re an actor and have the courage to report the casting scoundrels send an email to Feur’s assistant at karla.cortez@lacity.org. 

The only way to stop this crime is not tolerating it in the first place!  Perhaps sending a bunch of these miscreants to Club Fed for a few years might send a strong message!