Answers Filed in NY Attorney General’s Suit

Here’s Wayne LaPierre’s answer. We’ve just skimmed it, but some thing leap out.

Para. 145, he admits that “the National Rifle Association of America hired his niece to work on Women’s Leadership Forum events and projects.”

149: admits that “between June 2016 and February 2018, the organization initially paid for certain flights for his wife and extended family that were related to National Rifle Association of America business when he was not a passenger, that he admitted that he authorized some of these flights, that the flights were not approved for security reasons, and that the flights were not approved by the National Rifle Association of America Board and states that he has reimbursed the National Rifle Association of America for those flights.”

153: “he admits that in January 2017, he authorized a private jet to pick up his niece’s husband in North Platte, NE, on the way to Las Vegas for a Safari Club convention, that he authorized a private flight to fly his niece’s husband back to Nebraska, and that he gave videotaped testimony regarding the flights, which speaks for itself and is the best evidence of its content.”

156: “he admits that, in November 2018, he and his wife took a private roundtrip flight from Washington D.C. to Dallas, TX, and stopped in North Platte, NE, on each leg of the trip to pick up and drop off his niece and grandniece so that he, his wife and his niece could work together on the National Rifle Association of America’s Women’s Leadership Foundation business.”

159: “he admits that, in February 2018, he authorized a private flight for an NRA spokesperson, her husband, and an employee of a vendor.”

166: “he admits that, since June 2015, he and his family have taken private flights to and from the Bahamas on occasion and that on some of those trips he stopped in Nebraska to pick up and drop off his niece and her family.”

174: This refers to David MacKenzie, NRA contractor for million, who let LaPierre use his big yacht in the Bahamas. “he admits that he has frequently met with the MMP Principal in connection with National Rifle Association of America business, that he took private flights to California on many occasions between late 2013 and early 2017—usually staying at a hotel in Beverly Hills—to meet with the MMP Principal and others, often over lunch or dinner, and that, between 2013 and 2016, the MMP Principal, his wife, and their daughter received gifts from the National Rifle Association of America, for which Mr. LaPierre has reimbursed the National Rifle Association of America.”

175: “he admits that has attended “celebrity retreats” organized by the MMP Principal, that when he has attended these retreats, which were held annually in the Bahamas in December, he stayed at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, and that his lodging was paid for by the MMP Principal, and that gave testimony about his visits to the Bahamas, which speaks for itself and is the best evidence of its content.”

176: “he admits that, between 2013 and 2018, he visited the Bahamas in the summer, that during these trips, he would stay on a boat named Illusions, which he believed was owned by the MMP Principal, that his family members joined him on these trips, that the boat was equipped with four staterooms, a jet boat, and two jet skis, with a crew that included a chef, and that he gave testimony about his visits to the Bahamas, which speaks for itself and is the best evidence of its content.”

184: “he admits that since being elected Executive Vice President, he has not used the National Rifle Association of America’s regular travel agent to make his travel arrangements, that, since the 1990s, he has booked travel through a travel consultant based in Woodland Hills, CA, and that that travel consultant billed the National Rifle Association of America through two companies: Inventive Incentive & Insurance Services Inc. and GS2 Enterprises. . . .

203: “admits that, in May 2017, his wife was appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Park Service Foundation (NPSF), and that, over the next few months, he submitted expense reports requesting expense reimbursements for trips taken with his wife to NPSF events in Alaska and Arizona, and that this was in addition to the expense of the flights used to get them to the NPSF events.”

205: “he admits that he has been reimbursed for expenses incurred travelling to and from film shoots for Under Wild Skies, a television program, in Europe and Africa, that he had a decades-long friendship with the principal of Under Wild Skies, Inc. (“UWS”), the corporate entity that produces the program, and that, in 2013, he was reimbursed by the National Rifle Association of America for airfare, lodging, and related expenses that he and his wife incurred travelling to Botswana for an Under Wild Skies film shoot on safari, representing the National Rifle Association of America and its Women’s Leadership Forum, for the purpose of building the National Rifle Association of America’s brand and developing relationships between the National Rifle Association of America and hunters and donors.”

207: “he admits that, between 2009 and 2017, he expensed membership fees for a golf club located in the Washington D.C. area. . . .”

216: “he admits that the National Rifle Association of America’s EVP budget includes consulting arrangements with several former National Rifle Association of America presidents and board members.”

223: “he admits that he and his wife looked at several houses in the Dallas, TX area for possible use as a safe house from time to time.”

257: “admits that Powell’s salary was set at his discretion, that when Powell first joined the National Rifle Association of America in June 2016 his salary was set at $250,000, and that it was later retroactively increased to $500,000, and that Powell’s predecessor as Chief of Staff, who had been at the National Rifle Association of America for over 35 years, had a base salary of approximately $350,000 at the time of her retirement.”

290: “he admits, upon information and belief, that, at the time of Frazer’s appointment as Secretary and his designation as General Counsel, Frazer had been licensed as an attorney for seven years and had been in private practice in his own firm for 18 months.” This is the guy you pick to become General Counsel of a $350 million a year organization?

292: “admits that he did not consult an executive search firm to assist in identifying qualified candidates for the General Counsel position prior to hiring Frazer, that he did not ask that a search be conducted of Frazer’s prior legal writings or of lawsuits in which he was involved, that he did not take steps to ensure that a credit or social-media check was conducted for Frazer before hiring him as General Counsel. . . .”

294: “he admits that, from 2014 to at least August 6, 2020, Frazer did not advise him that changes to board governance procedures were needed to comply with the New York Nonprofit Revitalization Act of 2013.” Is he setting Frazer up to be the fall guy?

301: Relating to Millie Hallow, his executive assistant: “he admits that, after credit card privileges of the person referred to in paragraph 297 of the Complaint were revoked, Phillips tasked an executive assistant in the Treasurer’s Office (“Executive Assistant No. 1”) with the responsibility of reviewing the person’s expenses and reimbursement requests.”

310: Again, Millie Hallow: “he admits that the National Rifle Association of America disclosed in its 2019 Form 990 that the person referred to in paragraph 297 of the Complaint “diverted $41,820.37 from the NRA but has fully repaid the organization, including interest, for a total of $56,241.35” and that she remains employed by the National Rifle Association of America.” Good grief! You revoke her company credit card for misuse, she swipes $41,000 of company money, and you keep her one? What does it take to get fired for dishonesty at NRA HQ? Or does she know too much dirt for you to let her go, or notify the police?

347: “he admits that, as part of his work for the National Rifle Association of America and as part of his wife’s work for the National Rifle Association of America Women’s Leadership Foundation, he and his wife appeared in episodes of Under Wild Skies, traveling to and participating in big game hunts in the United States, Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, and Argentina, and that the expenses associated with these trips— including professional hunter costs, camps, chartered travel, food and beverages, hunting licenses, trophy fees, and taxidermy—were incurred by UWS as part of the show, and lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegation that “[a]ccording to the president of Mercury Group and UWS, a single game hunt of this nature could cost upwards of $100,000”.”

362: In regards the “golden parachute” consulting contract given the head of General Operations after his firing, “except that he admits that he was not aware of any consulting services provided to the National Rifle Association of America pursuant to the referenced agreement. . . .”

379: “except that he admits that he gave videotaped testimony regarding whether he thought it was prudent for a charitable nonprofit organization to have an executive negotiate with a vendor while also being paid by that vendor, which speaks for itself and is the best evidence of its content.”

393: This refers to Kayne Robinson: “he admits, upon information and belief, that, beginning in July 2009, Board Member No. 2 has been paid by the National Rifle Association of America for the provision of services. . . .”

410: This refers to Marion Hammer: “he admits that Board Member No. 5 is a past National Rifle Association of America President and is a current National Rifle Association of America Board member who has been paid under the EVP Consulting Budget, that he, on behalf of the National Rifle Association of America, and Board Member No. 5 executed a ten-year contract with the Board member”

473: “he admits that the Brewer firm was initially retained by the National Rifle Association of America in March 2018 to handle certain litigation matters.”

635: “he admits that he directed the National Rifle Association of America’s then-Treasurer to wire $5 million to the Brewer Firm Trust Account for the purpose of looking into reorganization or restructuring alternatives.”

636: “he admits that he did not inform or consult with the National Rifle Association of America Executive Directors of General Operations, Advancement, or the National Rifle Association of America-ILA in advance of the National Rifle Association of America bankruptcy filing.”

After all these grim admissions, we can close with a good laugh. The 13th affirmative defense stated is: “Mr. LaPierre has no liability under any of the causes of action asserted against him in the Complaint because, at all times, as an officer and director of the corporation, he conducted himself and performed his responsibilities within the scope of appropriate business judgment and deserving of the protections of the business judgment rule.” Thanks, we needed that.