by Below is an open letter from former NRA Director Tim Knight. I am publishing it with his permission.
Tim along with fellow directors Esther Schneider and Sean Maloney are named as whistleblowers (Question 9b on verdict form) in the current New York trial who suffered retaliation. They spoke out about alleged financial misconduct and called for a review of the billings by Bill Brewer and his firm. As a result, he and the other two were stripped of their committee assignments, rebuffed when they sought information, and were prevented from doing their fiduciary duties. This led to their resignations on August 1, 2019.
I don’t think it needs repeating but I’ll say it anyway. Tim is one of the good guys. He helped lead the grassroots campaign in Colorado that led to the recall of two anti-gun politicians. Like another famous Tennessean, he answered the call from another state and went to help in their fight. He is a grassroots activist who has always recognized that his job was to serve the members of the NRA.
The verdict in the NY vs. NRA case is due shortly. Although I believe the case had some political motivations behind it based on the words of the New York Attorney General when she was running for office, I don’t think NRA members should dismiss the grave concerns revealed in what is now several court cases.
I, along with a few others directors, expressed concerns over the misappropriation of funds both internally and then later publicly in 2019. We recognized who our boss actually was: our fellow members who were faithfully paying their dues. We did not believe the NRA Board and management were holding to the mission of the Association nor were they being transparent about expenses. Every NRA Director has a duty to the members, the law and the NRA’s mission statement. Several of us were dismissed from our committees and accused of disloyalty towards the NRA for raising our financial concerns. Most Board members were too scared to stand up to Wayne and his cronies, especially Marion Hammer. Other Board members were part of the management cabal themselves and had no intention of changing a thing. So, the Board circled their wagons and remained silent. They were unwilling or unable to speak up or divided on where their loyalties lay.
The current NRA Board has failed in its duty to the NRA members, and I think that every single Board member who hasn’t openly spoken up about reform and responsibility should resign immediately. Our Association deserves bold, honorable and honest Board members focused on their legal responsibilities and on the members who elected them. No more should they focus on those who can dole out favors, vacations, car rides, consulting fees and other graft. We need to stop electing the silent, the complicit or those who hope to be “trusted remainders” when this all blows over. Board members who are 2nd Amendment hero’s, politicians or captains of industry might once have been effective for our association. They are no longer effective and need to resign as well.
To fix our association, we need a much smaller board with term limits as well as a significant revision of the structure the board operates under. Strict disclosure rules for Board members and management needs to be enforced and shared with NRA members during the annual meeting. This information should be disclosed to everyone during the main members business meeting that is open to the public.
I trust the members who make up the association and in the mission statement that should always keep it focused. We need new leadership and a new board now. If both do not change, the slow degradation of our once great association will do more damage to our civil rights, hunting culture, gun safety education and competitions that we can ill afford. My fellow members, if the court does not grant you the remedy you think is deserved, please stop supporting the do nothing’s, ne’er do wells, and the faded hero’s. If we want our Republic back, let’s start with our association!
I look forward to the day when the NRA once again, through hard work and results, regains the trust of millions of law abiding gun owners. We are stronger when we stand together as hunters, competitors, enthusiasts, advocates and educators.
- Timothy Knight
NRA Board of Directors 2015-2019
Citizen of the Republic, Constitutionalist, National 2a Advocate, Founder‘13 CO Recalls. School Safety Proponent, Effective Grassroots Campaigner.
