On May 20, 2024, the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association (NRA) elected Doug Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President and CEO and also elected former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr as President of the NRA. The recent meeting of the Board of Directors followed the 153rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits held in Dallas, Texas.
“I thank my colleagues for their support of my election as NRA President,” said Bob Barr. “I have been a fighter my whole life and I commit to boldly fight for our Second Amendment rights on behalf of the millions of NRA members. We need to grow our ranks, especially in this election year, and I pledge to focus my attention on doing just that.”
New NRA VP and CEO Hamlin is Marine Veteran Who Directed NRA Publications
New NRA Executive Vice President & CEO Doug Hamlin recently served as Executive Director of NRA Publications. Prior to joining NRA in 2014, Mr. Hamlin had a long career in the publishing industry with Petersen Publishing. He also was vice president and group publisher of Motor Trend magazine and served as the publisher of Guns & Ammo magazine. Mr. Hamlin served six years on active duty as a regular Marine Officer, including serving overseas with the Third Marine Division. He also has been active in Veteran charitable causes.
“I am truly humbled to be elected by the NRA Board of Directors as the next Executive Vice President & CEO of the NRA,” said Doug Hamlin. “Our Association is at a decisive moment in our history, and the future of America and constitutional freedoms depends on the success of the NRA.”
Following the election of Mr. Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President, he re-appointed Randy Kozuch as the Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and appointed Joseph P. De Bergalis, Jr., as the Executive Director of NRA General Operations.
The NRA Board of Directors also elected William A. Bachenberg as NRA First Vice President and Mark E. Vaughan, President of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, as NRA Second Vice President. The Board of Directors also re-elected Sonya B. Rowling as NRA Treasurer and John C. Frazer as NRA Secretary. This year, the NRA membership voted overwhelmingly to create the position of NRA Chief Compliance Officer. Robert Mensinger was elected by the Board to serve in that position.
BONUS: Full Donald Trump Address to NRA-ILA on 5/19/2024
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump delivered the keynote address at the NRA Leadership Forum. At the event he accepted the official endorsement from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) for his re-election as President of the United States of America.
Share the post "NRA Board of Directors Elect New Leaders — Hamlin and Barr"
A Manhattan, New York jury found the NRA and its former leader Wayne LaPierre liable in a civil legal action. In 2020, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against the NRA, LaPierre and other leaders of the organization. The case concluded this week with a jury verdict. After deliberating for a full week, a New York jury Friday found both the NRA and its former CEO/Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre, liable for spending NRA donor funds improperly. Mr. LaPierre has been ordered to pay back more than $4.351 million to the NRA. It is not clear yet whether Mr. LaPierre, the NRA, or other parties will seek to overturn the trial result on appeal.
Prior to the commencement of the civil trial in New York, Wayne LaPierre resigned as CEO and Executive Vice President of the NRA. In early January 2024, NRA President Charles Cotton accepted LaPierre’s resignation during a board meeting. LaPierre, 74, cited health reasons as motivation behind the departure.
Origins and Outcome of New York Civil Lawsuit vs. Wayne LaPierre and Others
On August 6, 2020, following 18 months of investigation, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against the NRA and LaPierre, as well as treasurer Wilson Phillips, former chief of staff and current executive director of general operations Joshua Powell and general counsel and secretary John Frazer, alleging fraud, financial misconduct, and misuse of charitable funds, and calling for the dissolution of the association due to chronic fraudulent management. The NRA attempted to have the case moved to Texas and the dissolution lawsuit dismissed, but Federal Judge Harlin Hale of the Northern District of Texas ruled that the effort was made in bad faith[.] In March 2022, New York Supreme Court Justice Joel Cohen denied the claim to dissolve the NRA, while allowing the lawsuit against LaPierre and the organization to move forward.
On February 23, 2024 his civil trial concluded with the jury ordering LaPierre to repay the NRA $4,351,231. It also ordered the NRA’s retired finance chief, Wilson Phillips, to repay $2 million, found that the NRA omitted or misrepresented information in its tax filings, and violated New York law by failing to adopt a whistleblower policy.
The NRA 2022 Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center May 27-29 in Houston, Texas. The Exhibit Hall is open all three days and will showcase over 14 acres of the latest guns and gear from the most popular companies in the industry. From entertainment to special events, it’s all happening in Houston over Memorial Day weekend.
There is FREE Admission for NRA members and their immediate family. On-site walk-up registration is available for NRA members and you can also join NRA on-site to access the show. CLICK HERE to book hotel rooms with optimal locations and special NRA discounted rates.
Admission to the event is FREE for NRA members and their immediate family (some special events do require paid tickets). You can register on-site, as Advanced Registration has now closed for the 2022 event. Walk-up registration will be available on-site for members and you can join NRA on-site as well.
Get the latest information on the 151th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits at NRAAM.org.
NOTE: Monday, May 30th is Memorial Day, a holiday for most workers. So, if you decide to attend the NRA Annual Meetings, you can come back on Monday without missing a day of work.
Share the post "NRA Annual Convention in Houston Is Just Two Weeks Away"
The 2022 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place May 27-29, 2022 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. For all three event days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend) the Exhibit Hall will showcase over 14 acres of the latest guns and gear from shooting industry companies. The Exhibits Hall will be full of product and outfitter displays. Over 540 exhibitors will provide show-goers with a look at the latest firearms, ammunition, and accessories. The NRA Annual Meetings will also include entertainment and special events over the three days. The NRA plans to have a powerhouse lineup of political speakers, country music artists, plus workshops and seminars.
Admission to the event is FREE for NRA members and their immediate family (some special events do require paid tickets). We recommend that you PRE-REGISTER to receive your admission badge(s) ahead of the show. Walk-up registration will be available on-site for members and you can join NRA on-site as well.
Get the latest information on the 151th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits at NRAAM.org.
NOTE: Monday, May 30th is Memorial Day, a holiday for most workers. So, if you decide to attend the NRA Annual Meetings, you can come back on Monday without missing a day of work.
Share the post "NRA 2022 Annual Meetings & Exhibits May 27-29 in Houston, TX"
On October 1, 2021 the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its Annual Meeting of Members in Charlotte, North Carolina. This meeting was hastily organized after the cancellation of the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston slated for September 3-5, 2021. The Annual Meeting of Members preceded the NRA Board of Directors meeting. This year marks the 150-year anniversary of the founding of the NRA.
The major news from the meeting is that Wayne LaPierre, who turns 72 next month, remains in charge of the National Rifle Association. LaPierre was re-elected as Executive Vice President/CEO by the NRA Board of Directors. LaPierre has held the NRA’s top position since 1991.
Texas Attorney Charles Cotton Is New NRA President
Charles Cotton was elected NRA President. Cotton is an attorney from Texas. He is a competitive action pistol shooter and a life member/consultant with the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA). Cotton is also the founder of the Youth Action Pistol League, a program for junior shooters. He has served on the NRA Board of Directors for well over a decade, and was previously the NRA First Vice President.
“It is the honor of a lifetime for a guy who grew up hunting and plinking to become president of this 150-year-old organization – and serve our 5 million members in their fight for the Second Amendment”, stated new NRA President Charles Cotton.
1/22/2021 Interview with then NRA First VP Charles Cotton regarding NRA Bankruptcy Filings.
Cotton is now President of the NRA.
Other important new NRA executives taking office are Lt. Col. Willes K. Lee (ret.) First Vice President, and David Coy Second Vice President. Retaining their offices are NRA Secretary/General Counsel John Frazer and NRA Treasurer Sonya B. Rowling. Jason Ouimet was re-appointed as Executive Director for the Institute for Legislative Action and Joseph De Bergalis, Jr., Executive Director, General Operations.
Share the post "Wayne LaPierre Re-Elected as NRA Executive VP and CEO"
You probably know by now that the NRA 2021 Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston was cancelled at the last minute. The big event, originally slated for September 3-5, 2021, was called off because of health concerns related to the COVID Delta Variant.
What you probably did NOT know, was that the NRA has rescheduled its official Annual Members’ Meeting for Saturday, October 2, 2021 in North Carolina. The rescheduled event is now set for a single day at the Sheraton/Le Meridien Hotel Complex in Charlotte, NC. Space is limited, but it appears registration is still possible for NRA members (with their membership number).
How to Register Online (NRA Membership Number Required)
To register for the event, you must first go to the NRA Annual Members’ Meeting Page, then click the blue button labeled “REGISTER NOW”.
Next, on the eTix Registration Start page that appears when you click REGISTER NOW, you must scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, until you see a green tab labeled “Register”. Warning — this may be blocked by the cookie permission pop-up. On most browsers the green tab was NOT visible until the cookie warning was removed.
WARNING: Do NOT click on the blue link at the top of the page labeled “NRA Annual Member’s Meeting”. That will take you to an eTix dead-end that says “No Tickets Available”.
IMPORTANT: You must Scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the page. Look for the “Number of Registrants” and GREEN button labeled “Register”. It looks like this on a large screen:
or like this on mobile devices:
Then select the number of tickets and click the green bar. You will be prompted to insert your NRA membership number(s) for the tickets you want. This should be a NINE digit number per member (do NOT use the first three zeros that may appear on some NRA communications).
If you do everything right, you should see this page:
Share the post "NRA 2021 Members’ Meeting on 10/02/21 in North Carolina"
The NRA Annual Members Meeting takes place today in Arizona at the Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort Hotel on the far north side of Tucson. The results of the 2020 Mail Ballot for the NRA Board of Directors will be formally announced at the meeting. The meeting is being held in the Kiva Ballroom starting as 9:00 am local time, with Balloting for the 76th Director taking place in the Ventana Room starting at 8:00 am local time. Highlights from the meeting may be posted on Facebook and Instagram.
The meeting was originally scheduled to be held April 18 in conjunction with the 2020 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, but was rescheduled due to the cancellation of the 2020 Convention. For further information about the meeting, visit NRAam.org/members-meeting. As the Loew’s Hotel site capacity has been reached, on-site registration today is not possible.
The official results of the 2020 election of members to the NRA Board of Directors will be announced as well. Eligible NRA members are strongly encouraged to vote during the Annual Meeting of Members. Eligible Life members and Annual Members with five or more consecutive years of membership may vote on Association business during the meeting and/or vote for the 76th Board Member. Annual Members with less than five years of consecutive membership may only vote for the 76th Board Member.
All members wishing to vote at the Annual Meeting of Members MUST have their memberships verified in the Voter Verification area in the Ventana Room at the Loew’s Resort Hotel.
NOTE: On-site registration is no longer possible, and site capacity has been reached. Capacity was limited due to AZ state health regulations. The NRA provided this notice:
NRA Annual Meeting UPDATE 10/15/20 Registration is Closed — No Walk-up Guests: The NRA’s highest priority is ensuring the well-being and safety of the members and special guests attending the NRA’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Members in Tucson, Arizona. In accordance with Covid-19 density guidelines established by Pima County and local health officials, we have, regrettably, reached full capacity for this event. Only those who are pre-registered will be admitted and no walk-up guests are allowed to enter the meeting facility. We regret that local health guidelines prevent us from accommodating any walk-up guests. We appreciate your support and cooperation.
Face Mask Notice: Pima County regulations, in coordination with the CDC and Arizona Department of Health Services, recommend social distancing. Pima County requires face coverings in both indoor and outdoor settings. The NRA must comply with this guidance. Barring any special exceptions, face coverings are not optional for members, NRA employees, or guests attending the NRA’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Members in Tucson, Arizona. Thank you for your efforts to protect yourself and other members of the NRA community.
Share the post "NRA Annual Meeting Today, October 24, in Tucson, Arizona"
The 2020 NRA Annual Meetings, originally set for June in Nashville, TN, and then rescheduled for September in Springfield, MO, has been moved yet again. This week the NRA announced that the 2020 NRA Annual meeting will be held in Tucson, Arizona, on October 24, 2020, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort hotel. Here is the NRA’s official announcement of the venue change:
The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce that the 149th Annual Meeting of Members, previously scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Springfield, Missouri, has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 24, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort hotel located at 7000 N. Resort Drive, Tucson, Arizona.
The NRA Annual Meeting will take place in the Kiva Ballroom and commence at 9:00 am local time. All members are invited to attend. Please visit nraam.org/membersmeeting for further details and updates on pre-registering.
The NRA has not yet released a full schedule of events. But this will be a meeting of members only — not a multi-day gathering with entertainment and celebrity guests. And there will be no large trade show with hundreds of exhibitors. This is a basic meeting of members only, being held to comply with the NRA’s charter. All NRA members are invited to attend.
Share the post "2020 NRA Annual Meeting Moved to Tucson AZ in October"
The state of New York, through NY Atty. General Letitia James, has filed suit against the NRA attacking actions by its leadership, claiming that funds were spent improperly. The purpose of the suit, said James, is “to dissolve the organization in its entirety”. This lawsuit originates from New York because the NRA is a New York-chartered organization. In a coordinated legal action, likewise motivated by partisan politics, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine brought suit against the NRA Foundation, claiming the Foundation gave money to the NRA without proper oversight.
About the New York Lawsuit: The NY suit claims NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, Wilson “Woody” Phillips (former NRA treasurer/CFO), Joshua Powell (former chief of staff) and John Frazer (corporate secretary/general counsel) diverted tens of millions of dollars for their personal benefit and enrichment. NY alleges that the “The NRA was serving as a personal piggy bank” for these four men.
About the DC Lawsuit: “Key to the D.C. complaint are a pair of $5 million loans in 2017 and 2018 from the Foundation to the Association. In addition to those loans, the suit alleges the Foundation paid millions in fees to the NRA with no oversight, essentially placing the NRA’s interests above its own. That is a violation of the Foundation’s articles of incorporation.” Source: The Shooting Wire, 8/7/2020.
The NRA Responds — And Files Suit for First Amendment Violations
LaPierre stated that the action by New York is “an unconstitutional, premeditated attack aiming to dismantle and destroy the NRA”. Immediately the NRA began to fight back, filing a countersuit on 8/6/2020 stated that the NY AG’s lawsuit has violated the NRA’s First Amendment rights. NRA President Carolyn Meadows called the NY lawsuit a “baseless, premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend”.
Lawsuits filed against the NRA will be the major issue at the NRA Annual Meeting next month.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation issued a statement condemning the NY Atty. General’s politically-motivated scheme to dissolve the NRA:
“NSSF, the trade association for the firearm industry, is troubled by the politically-driven decision of New York Attorney General Letitia James to seek to dissolve the National Rifle Association, America’s oldest civil rights organization.
The lawsuit filed today by Attorney General James seeks to punish the over five million members of the National Rifle Association based on mere allegations of possible wrongdoing by a few individuals.
NSSF is deeply concerned about the apparent political agenda to silence the strongest voice in support of the Second Amendment ahead of the election in November.
This lawsuit, and one filed today by the District of Columbia Attorney General, should concern all Americans who cherish both the First and Second Amendments to our Constitution regardless of their views on what laws and regulations are appropriate to address the criminal misuse of firearms.”
Share the post "New York Sues NRA — Seeks to “Dissolve” the Organization"
The NRA has announced that Lt. Colonel Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) will become President of the NRA within a few weeks, a process the NRA Board of Directors initiated Monday morning.
North said he was eager to take on this new role. North is retiring from Fox News, effective immediately. “I am honored to have been selected by the NRA Board to soon serve as this great organization’s President,” North said. “I appreciate the board initiating a process that affords me a few weeks to set my affairs in order, and I am eager to hit the ground running as the new NRA President.”
The NRA Board acted quickly to begin the process for North to become President, after former NRA President Pete Brownell announced that, in order to devote his full time and energy to his family business, he had decided not to seek election to a second term.
Brownell wrote to the NRA Board: “Discussing this with Wayne LaPierre, he suggested we reach out to a warrior amongst our board members, Lt. Colonel Oliver North, to succeed me. Wayne and I feel that … a leader with his history as a communicator and resolute defender of the Second Amendment is precisely what the NRA needs. After consulting with NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox, First Vice President Childress and Second Vice President Meadows, I can report there is extraordinary support for Col. North.”
“Pete has served the NRA with great courage and distinction,” LaPierre said. “I am grateful that he joined me in enthusiastically recommending Oliver North to the Board of Directors.”
Carolyn Meadows Will Serve as Interim NRA President
After the announcement, NRA First Vice President Richard Childress informed the board that he had multiple commitments in the next several weeks and was unable to be immediately available to serve as interim President. The Board then selected Second Vice President Carolyn Meadows to serve as its interim President. Meadows will step aside in a few weeks, when Lt. Col. North is prepared to take on his new role as NRA President.
Share the post "Lt. Colonel Oliver North Will Become Next NRA President"
On July 14th, NRA Executive V.P. and CEO Wayne LaPierre addressed the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Conference in New York. You can see his presentation in the video below.
LaPierre stated: “No foreign influence has jurisdiction over the freedoms our Founding Fathers guaranteed to us….Without apology, the NRA wants no part of any treaty that infringes on the precious right of lawful Americans to keep and bear arms.” LaPierre specifically called for the exclusion of civilian arms from the Treaty’s coverage: “It is regrettable that proposals affecting civilian firearms ownership are woven throughout the proposed ATT [Arms Trade Treaty]. That being the case, however, there is only one solution to this problem: the complete removal of civilian firearms from the scope of any ATT … civilian firearms must not be part of any ATT. On this there can be no compromise, as American gun owners will never surrender their Second Amendment freedom.” LaPierre concluded: “The cornerstone of our freedom is the Second Amendment. Neither the United Nations, nor any other foreign influence, has the authority to meddle with the freedoms guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all humankind.”
“NSSF, the trade association for the firearm industry, is troubled by the politically-driven decision of New York Attorney General Letitia James to seek to dissolve the National Rifle Association, America’s oldest civil rights organization.
The NRA Board acted quickly to begin the process for North to become President, after former NRA President Pete Brownell announced that, in order to devote his full time and energy to his family business, he had decided not to seek election to a second term.
On July 14th, NRA Executive V.P. and CEO Wayne LaPierre addressed the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Conference in New York. You can see his presentation in the video below.
