A couple of days ago the Washington Post broke a story that there had been talk about the NRA buying a $6 million mansion in Dallas for EVP Wayne LaPierre post-Parkland. The NRA is saying that it was Ackerman McQueen’s idea and AckMac is saying it was Wayne’s idea.
The origins of the idea to buy the mansion, its proposed purpose and the reason the deal never went through are now being fiercely disputed by the NRA and Ackerman McQueen, which are locked in a bitter legal fight.
In a statement late Tuesday night, Ackerman McQueen said LaPierre had sought the ad firm’s assistance with the real estate transaction, a proposal it said alarmed company officials. “Actions in this regard led to Ackerman McQueen’s loss of faith in Mr. LaPierre’s decision-making,” the firm said.
For their part, NRA officials said that the real estate purchase was suggested in early 2018 by Ackerman McQueen as an investment that would be managed by the ad firm’s top executives — and that it was ultimately rejected by top NRA leaders.
“The agency introduced Mr. LaPierre to its preferred local real estate agent, directed a tour of multiple homes, and established a company to manage the investment,” NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said in a statement late Wednesday. “No matter, Mr. LaPierre ultimately rejected the opportunity and not one dime of the NRA’s money was spent on this venture.” The LaPierres did not respond to requests for comment.
The New York attorney general’s office is now examining the plan for an NRA-financed mansion as part of its ongoing investigation into the gun lobby’s tax-exempt status, in which it has subpoenaed the group’s financial records, the people said.
According to the Zillow listing, the mansion has 4 bedroom and 9 bathrooms. It overlooks a lake.
Now the idea of an organization have a residence in which to entertain rich donors and to house an executive is not unheard of. Indeed, universities and colleges around the nation do it all the time. If the NRA still wants to think about such a residence, I have a much better suggestion.
The Internal Revenue Service contracts with a company called CWS Marketing to sell seized properties. These properties are often seized due to tax fraud or due to being bought with illegal proceeds from drug or other transactions. As luck would have it CWS is holding an auction next week for a slightly smaller mansion that still has a lake view and is just made for entertaining.
The stately house is located in Mason, Ohio which is a suburb of Cincinnati. How ideal would it be to have the NRA Mansion be located in the same town as the Cincinnati Revolt of 1977. Just think how the location might remind NRA executives that if they didn’t stand up and fly straight they could go the way of Maxwell Rich.
It has a beautiful bar in the basement which is ideal for entertaining.
It also has a media room and a billiards room in the basement.
Moreover, it has some large closets that would fit most, if not all, of Wayne’s custom suits.
The house has a beautiful entry way which would be ideal for welcoming well-heeled donors.
It has a large patio and deck area on the rear of the home overlooking the lake. I think this would be ideal for cocktail parties and other gatherings where the touch is put on donors.
You can see many more pictures as well as the floor plans here.
The Zillow estimate of the value of the home is $1.8. However, with some artful bidding, I’m sure it could be had for much less than that.
A little bit of paint, some new carpeting, and it would be ready to go! Now doesn’t this make more sense than some house in Dallas. By the way the temperature in Dallas right now is 101 deg. while it is a balmy 84 deg. in Mason.
Except no one goes to Ohio to donate money, lol. Lobbyists and congress critters in D.C. want to stay in D.C. $6 million for a place in the D.C. area is kinda cheap.
I have no doubt for 6 million, in NC one could get over 200 acres (NRA donor trap shooting!) alongside a stately mansion, but again… NC. This is why D.C. has some of the richest counties in the country (Fairfax, Montgomery County, Howard County…), all that lobbyist money. Drive around there some time and ask yourself "How can it possibly be that thee are so many people who can afford a 10,000 sq ft house on 1 acre for over 1.5 million?" Your tax dollars at work.
Fundraising and lobbying is a disgusting business. If you dont want to know how the sausage is made, don't go in the kitchen. Simple fact is that the next guy in the chair will have to play by the same D.C. rules, like it or not. If you are not at the table in D.C., you are on the menu.
While there are some places in North Carolina where you might find the stately mansion and 200 acres for $6 million, they are becoming fewer and farther between.
If your point is that the house needs to be in Metro DC for fundraising and lobbying purchases, I can see how Ohio would be out. Likewise, however, so would Dallas. You might use it to fundraise well-to-do Texasn but national level elected officials are still going to be in DC.
oh, snap. I missed the part where it was in Texas, lol. Oil Money? Or rich Bush republicans? Will there be extra safety on the property so they don't get Cheneyed while hunting?
I'd rather see WLP in a 10×6 in solitary at this point…
More from the WSJ: a $70,000 check has surfaced, and it does not look good for WLP. https://www.wsj.com/articles/check-for-dallas-mansion-raises-new-questions-about-nra-plans-11565626607?mod=hp_lead_pos7
I let my WSJ subscription lapse and this is behind a paywall. However, ProPublica has the details – https://www.propublica.org/article/documents-show-nra-money-helped-chief-wayne-lapierre-search-personal-mansion