Observation O’ The Day
When the story becomes the person running to organization, not the organization’s mission, than that person needs to go.
NRA Board Member Calls for CEO Wayne LaPierre’s Removal
Roscoe ‘Rocky’ Marshall argues that the organization’s board should also be removed as the association battles corruption allegations
A National Rifle Association board member called for the removal of the organization’s entire board and Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre, saying the actions were required for meaningful reform of the nonprofit gun-rights group as it battles corruption allegations.
The unusual move came in a series of legal filings Friday by Roscoe “Rocky” Marshall, an NRA board member since early this year, who is seeking to intervene on behalf of the association’s members in a continuing legal battle in state court in New York between the organization and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Ms. James last year filed a lawsuit against the NRA, Mr. LaPierre and other current and former executives, alleging that NRA insiders violated the state’s nonprofit laws by illegally diverting tens of millions of dollars from the group through excessive expenses and contracts that benefited relatives or close associates.
Ms. James’s office says the corruption is so deep at the NRA that the group should be dissolved.
Mr. LaPierre and the NRA have denied the allegations, claiming the legal action by Ms. James—a Democrat—is politically motivated.
In Friday’s filings, Mr. Marshall opposed the attorney general’s effort to break up the group, saying that it would unfairly punish the NRA’s millions of members for the alleged sins of the group’s leaders. He backed Ms. James’s central allegations of corruption and mismanagement, calling Mr. LaPierre’s regime an “executive cancer that has threatened and continues to threaten the NRA’s ability to serve its members and the public interest.”
He said the board, rather than conducting effective oversight, has been a passive rubber stamp for Mr. LaPierre and his “cronies.” Mr. Marshall is part of a small group of dissident directors on the NRA board, which overwhelmingly has backed Mr. LaPierre.
Mr. Marshall called for the court to appoint a temporary receiver to take charge of the NRA and oversee the election of a new board, which could replace current management. Mr. Marshall, who has a long background as a business executive, volunteered himself for that post.
The legal move comes after the judge overseeing the case earlier this month rejected a motion by two NRA members to intercede to represent the rights of members. The two had argued that NRA members have interests distinct from the NRA leaders who are the focus of the attorney general’s complaint.
As a director, Mr. Marshall similarly is seeking to intervene on behalf of NRA members, and has the same lawyers as the rejected parties.
In a statement, Ms. James said: “While we continue to review this motion, we are glad to hear that Mr. Marshall agrees that Wayne LaPierre and his top lieutenants must be removed from the NRA.”
The NRA released a statement from its second vice president, Willes K. Lee, who said, “It is unfortunate that Mr. Marshall aligns himself with those who continually attempt to intervene in the handling of NRA’s matters by its elected leadership. The NRA is a well-managed, actively engaged membership organization. We will continue on our current course of action—in the interests of our five million members and their Second Amendment freedoms.”