by An email went out this morning to all NRA employees informing them that Chris Cox has tendered his resignation. This is a sad day in the fight for gun rights on Capitol Hill. Chris Cox and the NRA-ILA have been, more or less, effective in keeping the Republicans and some Democrats on the side of gun rights.
Wayne LaPierre’s email is below:
From: “LaPierre, Wayne”
Date: June 26, 2019 at 8:50:14 AM MDT
To: #All NRA Employees <#AllNRAEmployees@nrahq.org>
Subject: Important AnnouncementDear Board Members and NRA Staff,
I wanted to inform you that Chris Cox tendered his resignation as executive director of NRA-ILA. I have accepted it and want to thank Chris for his service to the NRA and for his efforts to advocate for the Second Amendment.
Chris’s action follows our filing of a lawsuit in New York on June 19. Thereafter, I announced that, pending our pursuit of the facts relating to certain allegations contained in that lawsuit, Chris was placed on administrative leave. Naturally, that pursuit will continue in the interest of the NRA and our members.
In the meantime, NRA-ILA continues to benefit from a strong team with deep political experience, valued relationships, and a passion for the Second Amendment. We will make an announcement soon about an interim director of ILA and, in the meantime, continue to position the NRA for great success in the 2020 election season and beyond.
Please join me in wishing Chris and his family the best.
Wayne
That’s nice. Wish Chris and his family the best after he has been stabbed in the back.
One thing that has been mentioned to me is that there is more than a supposed “coup” attempt behind this. The NRA-ILA gave the NRA proper a substantial loan that has not yet been repaid so that they could cover their bills. The loan was made in the 2017 time frame. Now it is rumored that Wayne came back to ILA asking for a loan in the $15 million range and Chris Cox said no. The other person who had the authority to say “no” on behalf of the NRA-ILA was Scott Christman and he is on administrative leave as well.
The interim head of the NRA-ILA is expected to be the former ILA head of state affairs who has been working for the NRA proper for the last few years. The likelihood of him saying “no” to Wayne when asked for a loan is not likely.
UPDATE: If the comments on the Twitter feed of NY Times reporter are any indication, those who are anti-rights are ecstatic. You can read it here.
UPDATE II: Sebastian at Shall Not Be Questioned has his take on this whole mess. He is one of the few bloggers who goes way back with the NRA. Sebastian and Bitter have always, in my opinion, had good connections within the NRA.
Thanks for sharing the WLP letter.
Between this and showing Dana Loesch the door guess I'll give the National Wayne Association a pass this year. There are other organizations that can put my dues to use and don't have the stench of grift about them.
Thanks for sharing this information. As a Benefactor Life Member I am outraged at the actions of Wayne LaPierre and his cabal who seem to believe that money donated to the NRA by myself and others is their private slush fund. LaPierre and the new President are a disgrace to our organization. I sacrificed to pay dues to the NRA when I was a police officer with four children and making around $13000 a year. I have purchased life memberships for others when I could not afford it. LaPierre and the others who have formed their own little "corrupt bastards club" need to go. We cannot afford for them to continue in their roles. They have betrayed our trust and apparently have succumbed to the sickness that is prevalent in Washington where power and privilege is considered a right. We also need to change the way in which Board Members are elected. I suggest a caucus forum where each state is divided into at least four districts. Life members in each district can elect a representative to a state convention where one Board Member and one alternate are elected to represent that state at the national level. Only members who have been a life member for a minimum of fifteen years could be elected to represent their district. I am sick and tired of a nominating committee selecting board member candidates that are useless celebrities or others that I or no one else know anything about. This organization belongs to more than the few who are now holding the reins. Dale Parker
now it's time for you to go too Wayne. and take the crazy cat lady with you.
Should have been WLP, THAT I would have applauded.
You wrote,
"The NRA-ILA gave the NRA proper a substantial loan that has not yet been repaid so that they could cover their bills. The loan was made in the 2017 time frame. Now it is rumored that Wayne came back to ILA asking for a loan in the $15 million range and Chris Cox said no."
Do you have any source on that, please? I am finding no info on that anywhere else. There is so much chaos and confusion in this mess that honest and correct information would be a plus. Do you have any source on that, please?
My source was an NRA insider who because of his or her position must remain nameless.
Thank you for more info. I do not doubt you, nor do I doubt your source. Indeed, what is particularly troubling is that your reporting has generally been solid. I just wish that we had enough info to judge "true or not." If true, this is most disturbing.
"He is one of the few bloggers who goes way back with the NRA. Sebastian and Bitter have always, in my opinion, had good connections within the NRA."
Had is the operative word. It's been a long time since I heard from anyone at NRA, and I haven't been to Annual Meeting in two years.