Doug Hamlin

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Coup D’Etat Or Last Gasp Of The Cabal?

November 27, 2024 by 2 Comments

If you have been following NRA In Danger or Members Take Back the NRA (on Facebook), you are aware that David Coy called up certain fellow directors to press NRA President Bob Barr to call a meeting of the Executive Committee. Barr heeded Coy’s call and has scheduled an Executive Committee meeting for Friday to be conducted electronically on Microsoft Teams.

From: Frazer, John <john.frazer@nrahq.org>

To: Frazer, John <john.frazer@nrahq.org>

Sent: Monday, November 25, 2024 at 09:05:00 PM EST

Subject: OFFICIAL NOTICE: Executive Committee meeting November 29

Dear Board and Executive Council members:

Pursuant to Article VI Sec. 4 of the NRA Bylaws, President Barr has called a special meeting of the Executive Committee to take place on Friday, November 29, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST. The meeting shall be conducted by Microsoft Teams (with video conference or audio-only available).  Login information is at the bottom of this message, and will also be sent in the form of a calendar invitation.

The object of the meeting will be to consider recent actions taken by the Executive Vice President with regard to the leadership of NRA-ILA and to take any appropriate action thereon.

Please note that this notice is being sent to all members of the Board and Executive Council pursuant to Article VI, section 4(c) of the NRA Bylaws.

Sincerely,

John Frazer

Secretary

National Rifle Association of America

11250 Waples Mill Rd.

Fairfax, VA 22030

(703) 267-1254

john.frazer@nrahq.org

The backstory is that Doug Hamlin moved to fire Randy Kozuch as head of NRA-ILA. Whether it was because he wanted to put his own person in the job or because Kozuch just wasn’t cutting it is left to speculation. Kozuch’s decision to have the NRA-PVF endorse Democrat Mary Perolta in Alaska over Republican Nick Begich caused much consternation with gun groups there and probably played a role in Hamlin’s decision. Kozuch, as is his right, appealed to members of the Board of Directors.

From all I’ve spoken with Kozuch is seen as a nice guy who has been around for many, many years. The question on whether he is effective is another story. I remember speaking with a board member back when Chris Cox was fired when there was speculation that Kozuch would get the position. He was adamant that this would be a horrible choice. Jason Ouimet eventually was named to replace Chris Cox.

I have heard that the intended replacement would be John Commerford who currently serves as the Chief of Operations at NRA-ILA. Commerford started with the NRA as an intern while still in college. He left for a couple of years to work with high-end shotgun company Krieghoff and then returned as a state liaison in 2013. He has been with NRA-ILA ever since. One criticism I have heard about Commerford is that he allowed himself to be used by Brewer’s team in the jury trial when they were trying to run the clock. Having read his testimony, it was mostly questions on the role of ILA, travel, and reimbursements. In other words, stuff that had been asked and answered earlier. This criticism was countered by a current director stating that Commerford was an employee and did what he was told.

According to the Bylaws (Art. V, Sec. 3b), it will take a supermajority of 75% of the Executive Committee to suspend Doug Hamlin with or without pay. This suspension would remain effective until the next regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors. The next regular meeting is scheduled for early January 2025. However, if the cabal plans to remove Doug permanently, they will need to provide him a 15 day notice in writing along with the preferred charges. It would take another supermajority of the board (75%) to remove him from the office. Some think the cabal has enough votes on the Executive Committee while others do not. We shall see.

All of these moves come before Judge Cohen has released his final order in the New York case. Frankly, I find this grossly foolish as their moves only reinforce the NYAG’s contention that the cabal must be removed from power. It is also foolish to think the NYAG and Judge Cohen are ignorant of the cabal’s machinations.

I’m sure that some of the cabal see their moves as a heroic defense of the NRA and its rights. I see it more as their last gasp showing that they can assert their power before they are swept away in the tide of reform. A slate of reform minded individuals are running in 2025 to replace them. In the interest of transparency which is one of the slate’s goals, I am one of those individuals. You can see all on them on our new website.

Finally, one of the big mistakes made by David Coy in calling for the Executive Committee meeting, was essentially to out the members of the cabal. Instead of sending his email out by BCC (blind carbon copy) to preserve anonymity, he named names. You can see this in a post of the original email by Willes Lee on Facebook here. I guess we should thank him for that.

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Al Hammond Urges Hamlin To Fire Brewer

August 26, 2024 by 1 Comment

NRA Director Al Hammond has sent a letter to the members of the Board of Directors encouraging them to support NRA EVP Doug Hamlin and to encourage Hamlin to fire Bill Brewer and his law firm. From everything I’ve read and everything I’ve heard, Hamlin as EVP has the authority to hire and fire any and all vendors including Brewer. While some are strongly holding to the theory that only the Special Litigation Committee has that power, I think ultimately that they are in error.

From Al Hammond’s letter to the BOD:

Subject: Letter to Support Doug Hamlin to Terminate Bill Brewer

Fellow NRA BOD members,  We have come to a critical time in the history of the NRA.  Myself having worked for the NRA for close to 30 years and then joining the BOD I have never seen this association in such dire straits financially and continuing down a path dooming our beloved NRA. We have to take a stand and turn this organization around.  

The first step is to terminate Bill Brewer and his legal team and allow our elected CEO/EVP to do his job without constraint.  I have sent a letter to Doug Hamlin encouraging him to do so and I would ask you to consider sending one in support of Doug as well. My letter is below. 

Now is the time to stand and be counted and help rewrite history as being part of the patriots who saved not only the NRA but our Country. We owe this to our NRA members, our Country and our children to continue to protect these rights every day.  Now is your chance to be heard. Please send Doug Hamlin a support letter for all the good work he has accomplished and continues to do for our NRA everyday.

Best Regards

Al Hammond

NRA BOD

Hammond then goes on to release the letter he sent to Doug Hamlin in encouragement. You may remember that some of the cabal had referred to Hamlin as the “interim EVP” which he is not. I presume that was because they preferred a more compliant EVP and one not associated with the reformers.

From that letter to Hamlin:

Doug, 

As a member of the National Rifle Association Board of Directors my fiduciary responsibility is to represent our members and promote and protect this great association.

With the continuation and constant legal maneuvering by the Brewer law firm to keep the NYAG law suite and other lawsuits without a resolution it is time to terminate and replace our current legal counsel and replace them with our own internal legal counsel and/or another outside legal counsel firm who can get the job done.

We have paid the Brewer firm in excess of 190 million dollars and we can no longer afford this high priced counsel with dismal positive results.  We are cash strapped and the current legal counsel and our President, Bob Barr, along with the entire Special Litigations Committee seem to have turned a blind eye and insist we continue to use Bill Brewer for not only the NYAG case but other pending cases and any new legal cases we enter into.  Enough is enough.

As the duly elected CEO/EVP you have the full authority to decide on any legal counsel moving forward and termination of any currently being utilized.  I fully support and ask you to dismiss the Brewer Firm from any and all lawsuits currently and any moving forward. Our members have had enough of their hard earned money and the support they have given being squandered on poor legal representation.

Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to bring back the NRA to what it should be and let’s build a bigger and stronger NRA  working together.

Best Regards

Al Hammond

NRA BOD

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Andrew Arulanandam Heads To Idaho

August 23, 2024 by 1 Comment

Andrew Arulanandam has officially submitted his papers to retire from the NRA effective September 1st. Doug Hamlin, CEO and EVP, sent out this announcement this morning.

Andrew Arulanandam – a valued member of our NRA team for the past 24 years, will be retiring effective September 1, 2024 to pursue a new opportunity.  Andrew has been an integral part of our organization consistently demonstrating dedication, expertise, and a commitment to professionalism and excellence.  Please join me in expressing the NRA’s deep gratitude and best wishes to Andrew.

Doug Hamlin

Executive Vice President/CEO

National Rifle Association of America

After being promoted from being the NRA’s head PR flack to the Executive Director of General Operations and then becoming Interim EVP after Wayne resigned, I was a bit surprised that that he was allowed to stick around after Doug Hamlin was elected EVP. This is especially true given how Arulanandam fronted for the cabal. That said, it was probably easier to return him to his position in PR with the understanding he would be retiring in a few months. I don’t know whether this allowed him to qualify for the NRA’s old pension but that is neither here nor there. I also don’t know whether his salary was reduced from $450,000 when he returned to the old job.

While the NRA hopefully has seen the last of him, the people of Idaho are getting him back.

Governor Brad Little announced the appointment of Andrew Arulanandam as the new director of the Idaho Lottery and the Idaho State Liquor Division. Arulanandam will take over following the retirement of Jeff Anderson, who had led both agencies until July….

In his new position, Arulanandam will lead two agencies that generate significant economic activity for Idaho. In 2023, the Idaho Lottery and Idaho State Liquor Division returned over $210 million to support state programs such as schools and infrastructure.

Arulanandam will begin his new role in September.

It should be noted that Arulanandam was the Executive Director of the Idaho GOP among other Idaho-based positions before he started working for the NRA. He is also a 1992 graduate of Boise State University.

The house cleaning at the NRA continues as now Arulanandam joins Tyler Schropp in the former NRA employee category. I certainly hope there will be more to come including a certain outside counsel.

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Tyler Schropp’s Replacement Named

August 12, 2024 by 1 Comment

Doug Hamlin, EVP of the NRA, named James P. “JP” Carter as the new Executive Director of the Office of Advancement this morning. He replaces Tyler Schropp who was “let go” approximately two weeks ago.

Photo from Holding Fast Solutions

From the announcement:

From: Hamlin, Douglas <DHamlin@nrahq.org>
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2024 8:59 AM
To: #All NRA Employees <#AllNRAEmployees@nrahq.org>
Subject: Announcement – Executive Director of Advancement

To All NRA Staff:

I am pleased to announce that beginning Monday, August 19th, 2024, James P. (“JP”) Carter will come onboard as the Executive Director, Office of Advancement.  If his name sounds familiar, it is due to his former service in the Publications division as a successful sales executive.

JP holds an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina, an M.B.A. from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and an M.S. in Project Management from Boston University. He has earned several awards for his leadership abilities at various levels of command with the USMC, a diversity leadership award, as well as a Bronze Star for Combat Valor in Afghanistan. He also serves as a Board Member for the Los Angeles Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.  His past work history includes senior management positions in both Fortune 500 and middle market companies,  focused on operational strategies and leadership excellence. He brings a team mentality to drive action and encouraging organizations to reach their next level of growth/success.

Most recently,  JP founded and was the CEO of a company focused on revenue growth, operational efficiencies, sound business processes, best practices, and strong leadership. Please welcome JP back to the NRA Family – thank you for your support.

Full Speed Ahead!

Doug Hamlin

Executive Vice President/CEO

National Rifle Association of America

Carter founded and is, or was, CEO of Holding Fast Solutions in Fort Mill, SC. They provide operational consulting and government contracting services. The company is certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. While Carter has sales experience as Hamlin notes above, I don’t see that he has any major gift or fundraising experience other than perhaps as a board member with the LA Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. It would almost seem he was better suited to be the Executive Director of General Operations.

It is my understanding that the job was not advertised nor were any internal candidates considered for the position. If I had to offer a guess, I would say that Hamlin wanted someone in that position who would have his back as well as someone he had worked with in the past regardless of whether the candidate perfectly fit the position. I would also hazard a guess that Carter’s appointment has been in the works for some time now and it was long before Schropp was shown the door.

There is no word on salary or compensation nor did I expect it. Ideally, in my opinion, this type of position should compensated with a modest salary plus a commission on what is brought in. It incentivizes bringing in the money which is the key issue for the NRA currently.

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Sorry Charles – Doug Hamlin Is Not A Placeholder

July 17, 2024 by 1 Comment

My good friend Todd called me this morning asking if I had seen this report from the New York trial. It was from The Trace’s Daily Bulletin. The report was a one paragraph blurb about Charles Cotton’s testimony.

From The Trace’s Daily Bulletin for July 17th:

The National Rifle Association’s new chief executive Doug Hamlin is a placeholder, according to the testimony of former NRA president Charles Cotton that points to fault lines in the gun group’s leadership. In May, board members chose Hamlin, who led the NRA’s publications arm, as Wayne LaPierre’s replacement. Hamlin is allied to a small, self-described reform bloc at the group. “The intent is to try to get, frankly, some high-powered person to take it over,” testified Cotton, a LaPierre defender whom the reformers consider part of an old guard. Cotton made his remarks in a New York courtroom where the final phase of New York Attorney General Letitia James’s lawsuit against the NRA is underway. —Will Van Sant 

Say what you will about The Trace and reporter Will Van Sant but they don’t get stuff like this wrong. I’m sure Cotton actually said that in his testimony in court. That said, I don’t think anyone who participated in the NRA Board of Directors meeting in May thought the election of Doug Hamlin to be the new CEO and Executive VP was to be as a placeholder. Moreover, I don’t think Hamlin would have stuck his neck out if he himself thought he was only destined to be a placeholder.

If you are talking placeholders then you are talking about people like then-Interim EVP Andrew Arulanandam. You could even include Cotton in this category as he was pitching himself as the EVP to settle thing down for a few years and then ride off into the sunset. I don’t know where Cotton got the idea that Doug Hamlin was a placeholder unless that is how the Cabal would like to see it.

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Hamlin Reaches Out To Staff Today

May 23, 2024 by 7 Comments

New NRA CEO and EVP Doug Hamlin sent out an email this morning to all NRA staff. It was part thank you, part what we need to do, part how he intends to manage, and part recognition that finances are tough.

There were some interesting points in what he said to staff that need to be emphasized. First and foremost, he said that he and all the NRA staff work for the members. That was nice to hear given the perception that many including Wayne only saw the members as sheep to be fleeced. Second, Hamlin emphasized that the NRA is not leaving Fairfax anytime soon. He encouraged employees in the Metro DC region to return to work in the headquarters building. Third, he said there would be new digital marketing initiatives to increase memberships and challenged employees to tell their friends to join. Finally, he said his objective was to restore trust in the NRA. He didn’t sugarcoat the fact that finances are tight.

The one thing I did disagree with him on is the assertion that the NRA is “the most significant conservative organization left on the battlefield.” I think we need to get away from the perception that the NRA is only for conservatives. While I am most certainly a conservative with libertarian leanings, I recognize that support for the Second Amendment and our civil rights is not limited to conservatives nor should it be. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, if you support the Second Amendment then you are my friend.

You can read the whole email for yourself as I’ve posted it below:

From: Hamlin, Douglas
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2024 9:28 AM
To: #All NRA Employees <#AllNRAEmployees@nrahq.org>
Subject: Full Speed Ahead!

To All:

I’m humbled and honored to be sending you this e-mail as your new EVP/CEO. It has been a tumultuous 5 years as we have battled for the survival of our beloved National Rifle Association (NRA). Every one of us has been in the trenches as we have fought the good fight and kept the faith. We have stood strong shoulder to shoulder working together on behalf of our members. I want to emphasize – WE WORK FOR OUR MEMBERS!

THANK YOU for not wavering as we have withstood extreme pressure and disinformation from the media, left leaning political forces, and the State of New York.

I’ve been a proud NRA Staffer for over 10 years. I do not assume my new position for any other reason than I love my country and will not stand idly by as we see our freedoms diminished. The NRA is the most significant conservative organization left on the battlefield. We are targeted because we win…and we are right in our cause!

As we move forward my primary objective is to restore the trust of our members, our industry, our donors, and our staff. We are in a tough spot financially but are going to make it. I will be spending a significant amount of time fundraising to keep our 153 years + operation on track. Once our members see we are making progress with the changes resulting from the efforts of our Board of Directors, they will come back in significant numbers. I ask you to go out and recruit new members. Tell your friends to join!

There has been a lot of talk about moving our operations away from Fairfax, Virginia. We will not be moving at this time. I hope those of you in the DC, Maryland, Virginia region will come to our office as much as possible. 

My leadership style is one of consensus building. I do not like to be micro-managed and that’s how I will interact with the leadership team. Having said that I’m not afraid to make tough decisions and get involved when and where needed.

We will be moving quickly on some digital marketing initiatives to stir up some positive public relations that will hopefully stimulate new memberships. Stay tuned for more information on our plans as we develop them.

In closing thank you for your dedication to our cause. Our mission to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens is more important now than ever before. Hold your heads high as we continue to do the important work of the NRA…together.

Doug Hamlin

Executive Vice President/CEO

National Rifle Association

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Change Has Come Quickly In Fairfax

May 21, 2024 by 1 Comment

Doug Hamlin was elected CEO and EVP of the NRA only yesterday but has hit the road running. Today, he announced that the positions of secretary and general counsel would be separated. As a result, John Frazer is no longer the General Counsel of the NRA. However, he will remain in the position of Secretary for which the Board elected him yesterday.

The new General Counsel is Michael Blaz. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1989. Blaz did his undergraduate work at Auburn University where he was a member of Phi Eta Sigma honor society. According to Martindale-Hubbell, Blaz is licensed to practice law in Virginia (1989) and the District of Columbia (1991).

Here is Hamlin’s announcement of the separation of the two positions and the appointment of Blaz as General Counsel.

Blaz had been the Assistant General Counsel before his promotion to General Counsel. I would also point out that Blaz has significantly more legal experience than Frazer who was only admitted to the bar in 2014.

The optics of a general counsel being found guilty of breach of fiduciary duties made it untenable to keep Frazer in that position. Hamlin has demonstrated he is working quickly to clean up the mess he was left at the NRA.

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An Interesting Day In Dallas

May 21, 2024 by 1 Comment

This is going to be short post because I’m tired. I have been watching and corresponding about the events surrounding the Board of Directors meeting all day.

First, just the bare facts. Bob Barr representing the Old Guard did win the Presidency. The vote was 37-30. Then the surprises began. Bill Bachenberg from the reform slate went head to head with Blaine Wade for 1st VP and won 36-31. Following that, reformer Mark Vaughan, president of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, beat Tom King 35-31. King really represented the Old Guard and his defeat was a sea change in attitude on the Board.

Second, and what I consider the biggest surprise, Doug Hamlin, Executive Director of Publications and the reformer’s choice for EVP, beat Ronnie Barrett for EVP/CEO. There is some talk that Hamlin is intended as an interim choice while a nationwide search is conducted.

For a bare bones, just the facts ma’am report on what has happened so far, the NRA-ILA did a decent job. Here is a link to it.

A more in-depth report is from Stephen Gutowski of The Reload which has some comments from Jeff Knox.

The last I knew was that the meeting was still continuing after coming back from a dinner break. The keys going forward will be membership on the Nominating and Executive Committee. As I noted this morning, there were no reformers nominated for the Executive Committee. That must change.

I hope to have more tomorrow.