Nasty Rotten Association

The National Rifle Association  used to be the most powerful Conservative political entity in America. It was so very powerful in influencing elections with lobbying  and money. Now it is beyond influence. It is corrupt. The corruption was very apparent when they spent $30 million dollars to support Trump. In 2016 that is triple the amount they spent in the previous election in support of Mitt Romney in 2012. Why do all that for Trump?

Why was Russia involved in the NRA? Maria Butina, a Russian spy was found to try to sway American politics through the NRA. She hosted NRA officials in Moscow. She met Trump. Jr. at an NRA dinner to discuss his father's election. Her boyfriend had a back channel of influence through Putin. Now the FBI is investigating whether Russian money went to the NRA to help Trump. 

The integrity of the NRA collapsed. There is secrecy, self-dealing and greed going on at the NRA. A small group of NRA executives, contractors and venders has extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from the nonprofit's budget through gratuitous payments, sweetheart deals and opaque financial arrangements. 

That prompted the NRA and it's public relations firm to sue each other over an failed coup.  The ad firm fired back at the NRA with a $50 million dollar lawsuit. The NRA sued the advertising firm for media leaks inn a coup attempt over confidential leaks. 

Then they got rid of their Spokesman  Oliver North and North claimed that he was defamed. North accused the group's leader Wayne LaPierre of defaming him and forcing him out after North raised concerns about lavish spending and financial mismanagement. The NRA clapped back at the ousted President Oliver North after alleged extortion scheme against the chief executive. 

After all this drama is taking place it is symbolic of how the member donations are being misused. There is allegations of financial improprieties involving more than $200,000 of wardrobe purchases by Mr. LaPierre. This guy billed the group's ad agency $39,000 for one day of shopping at a Beverly Hills clothing boutique. He billed the agency more than $240,000 for expenses related to trips he took to Italy, Hungry, the Bahamas and other locations. The travel expenses included more than $200,000 in air transportation costs related to a two week trip over Christmas to the Bahamas that included $18,000 for a car and driver in Europe. Documents also shows he was buying a $6.5 million dollar mansion for himself out of the NRA funds. NRA member funds spent tens of thousands of dollars bringing hair and makeup artists around the country for his wife. 

Do these corrupt leaders even know there are rules as to how a non-profit can spend its donated funds?  Recent tax filings show that the NRA diverted member funds to the tune of $36 million in various ways.  New York is discovering all this corruption because New York is where the NRA is chartered. The Attorney General is now seeking documents from more than 90 current and former members of the organization's board. The courts are seeking evidence of campaign finance and payments made to board members with tax compliance. New York should shut down the NRA as it did to the fraudulent Trump Foundation. The nasty rotten associations must be closed down so integrity can be restored to America. 

None of this even addresses the big problem with Trump the NRA and the issues of gun control, gun manufacturers and distribution of weapons now killing us all with so many on our city streets used for mass shootings daily. When will America get good leadership everywhere again?